A Quicksilver Love
by ele-boppers
Summary: Sequel to A Snowy Love! Nothing could ever just go to plan could it? Of course not; because she was the wife of the Kazekage and had a target painted on her back about as big as her forehead telling the world to screw her over. But maybe it wouldn't be all bad, after all, she was married to the Kazekage and that in itself was nothing short of a miracle.
1. Chapter 1

**A Quicksilver Love**

 **Welcome to the Sequel of A Snowy Love! We're picking up right where we left off in A Snowy Love. If you've haven't read it, please do so before reading this fanfic! -Saki**

 **Chapter 1**

The next few weeks were filled with paperwork and late nights for both Gaara and Sakura.

It wasn't uncommon to see the pink haired medic trudging home around midnight looking completely exhausted. It was also a very rare sight for anyone to see their elusive Kazekage.

There were a few nights when Gaara and Sakura never made it home as they fell asleep or simply stayed in their offices working and didn't see each other until the next night.

The nights the two did make it home, and into their bed, they did nothing but fall asleep in each other's arms, completely exhausted.

If anyone had stumbled upon them while they were sleeping, it would have been an unusual but nice sight to see, the Kazekage and his pink haired wife lying peacefully in each other's arms.

Temari had come to check on them and make sure they were alright on a few occasions when she knew the pair had been absent from the house for a full day. Somehow, seeing Sakura curled up against her brother with his arms around her made her heart ache for someone's company.

The days moved along and Sakura noticed her paperwork steadily decreasing.

She began to find a very small amount of time to walk home instead of the exhausted trudging she had been doing late at night. This meant that those out for nighttime strolls often caught sight of the pink haired medic returning home from work.

Everyone in Suna that saw her knew her and everyone respected her. She was kind to civilians and shinobi alike and acted like a normal person while she was off duty. She never once shunned people or brushed them off no matter how tired she was.

She talked to everyone that talked to her, even if she found the conversation pointless.

All of the children in the village loved her as well and always smiled when she said hello to them.

One day Sakura found herself with no paperwork left on her desk other than her normal work. She finished this quickly and immediately left the hospital once she was certain everything was in order.

"I am so glad that is over with!" Sakura exclaimed as she fell onto the couch with a lazy flop. She smiled happily, as she heard the door open just as she was reaching over to grab a book.

"Did you finish all of your paperwork?" She asked as he entered the living room. He nodded.

"Yes I did and from the looks of it you did as well." He observed. She smiled as he walked over and sat next to her on the comfortable couch. "I also cleared everything for the next week for our honeymoon." Sakura blinked at him slowly as Gaara waited for the news to sink in.

Her eyes widened and her mouth split into a grin as she shrieked happily before practically tackling him onto his back on the couch. His turquoise eyes went wide as he looked at the pink haired kunoichi currently kissing his jaw line.

"Uh Sakura?" He asked hesitantly, his voice a little strained.

"Hmm? What is it Gaara?" She asked innocently as she looked up at him her big emerald eyes questioning. He looked at her and immediately cursed himself for doing so.

She was straddling him and seemed to not even comprehend anything. "You might want to move." He hissed in a strained voice almost as if he was in pain.

"But why?" She pouted as she wiggled a little, her bottom lip stuck out at him in an incredibly sexy manner. All of his control snapped right there. He grabbed a hold of her hips and made her gasp as he sat up and immediately began kissing her.

He pulled back and flipped them over so she was on the bottom as he kissed along her neck making her squirm under him. She grinned to herself as he nipped at her skin.

"You are a tease." He crooned as he sucked on her mark making her arch suddenly and gasp. "It's been torture being too tired to appreciate you properly." He whispered as he captured her lips once more and began to pull down the zipper on her top. She ran her fingers along his back appreciatively as he pulled the zipper down completely leaving her in her silky black bra with lace edges; her shirt hanging loosely around her shoulders. He smirked when he saw it and she blushed.

"I'm doing the laundry it was the only one I had." She muttered indignantly as he gave her an appreciative look.

"I don't mind it." He whispered once more, his calm husky voice sending shivers down her body. "Though, I'd like it better off of you." He finished in a whisper that was followed by a deep predatory growl that sent her blood aflame.

 _"When and where did he learn to talk like that?"_ Sakura wondered as she ran her hands through his hair.

As he was about to fully divulge her of her bra they both felt familiar chakra walking up the path. Gaara hissed as his eyes narrowed and Sakura sighed.

 _"Kankuro you have the WORST timing ever!"_ She huffed inwardly as Gaara was feeling the same and hoped that his brother would leave him alone and go to his own house for once.

No such luck as his chakra signature continued advancing towards their door. That was it.

Gaara flared his chakra and leaned down to nip Sakura's mark making hers flare as well. She gasped as their combined chakra flared making Kankuro freeze in his tracks outside.

He had felt Gaara's sudden surge of angry and annoyed chakra forcing him back then Sakura's right after only hers was frustrated. Then their chakra had combined into something that made Kankuro shiver down to his very core as he turned and ran to his house, suddenly not wanting to disturb them.

Gaara looked down at Sakura with a smirk and she gave him a raised eyebrow and a teasing smile. He then leaned down and kissed her softly before moving with butterfly kisses to her bra which he unclasped and threw to the ground. He was not going to let the fact that Kankuro had interrupted them take away his fun.

 _"No."_ He thought as he growled against her skin making her shudder again. _"He will not interrupt me. Not now."_ He looked at her hungrily, his eyes showing it as Sakura looked up at him with the same hunger in her dark emerald eyes.

Kankuro sat in his house for the next fifteen minutes trying to keep his mind off the terrifying wave of chakra that had hit him earlier.

He sat wondering if perhaps it meant that Sakura and Gaara were fighting. "No they wouldn't be fighting. They are much too in tune for that. Maybe something happened that made them angry about something. Maybe it was me." He muttered this to himself, as he attempted to tinker with one of his puppets. The puppet merely gave him a blank stare in return. He sighed and decided that worrying about his younger brother and his pink haired wife wasn't good for him.

After a long while of trying to ignore his worries, he foolishly decided to brave the fury of them both and check on them.

 _"I'll just walk through Temari's portion of the house, she doesn't care and it's faster."_ He walked silently through her house and was about to enter the large area that made up Sakura and Gaara's home when a loud cry stopped him in his tracks.

"G-GAARA!" He heard Sakura cry out and at the same time Gaara's voice mixing with hers in a deep growl. Then silence with heavy breathing.

Kankuro's face went bright red as he raced back to his house. He knew if he ever said anything about it, he'd face the wrath of his brother and, even worse, his wife. Kankuro shook his head and decided then would be a great time to go and find Temari or go train.

Back in Sakura and Gaara's house the couple lay on the couch with Sakura resting on top of him, her breath coming in quiet pants. She looked up at Gaara from her position on his chest and smiled. He stared at her with a lazy expression.

"What is it?" He asked and she smiled looking at him coyly.

"Oh I was just wondering when we leave for our honeymoon." He looked at her as his face remained impassive.

"Well we'd better pack soon. We leave tomorrow." He stated this casually as Sakura looked at him with wide eyes.

"What?! Oh I haven't even had time to pack! We need to go pack and get cleaned up!" She jumped up and began grabbing her discarded clothes, throwing his towards him as he caught them. She then proceeded to look over her shoulder at him and smiled in a come-and-get-me way before leaving the room with a small giggle as she raced upstairs. He smirked and Shukaku chuckled deeply.

 ** _"See I told you. You're glad I got you into this now aren't you kid."_** Gaara sighed but inwardly conceded to agreeing with the demon. He pulled on his boxers and followed her up the stairs where he heard the shower already running. He let her finish and then took his turn, making it quick as he could already hear Sakura pulling clothing out of the closet.

Gaara joined her moments later, a black t-shirt and pants already in place. He watched as Sakura carefully folded her clothing before stowing it in her bag. She looked up at him as he watched her and shook her head before turning back to her work.

"You find it funny that I am so careful with my packing Gaara?" She stated as he made a noncommittal noise.

"Actually I find it amusing that you are so methodical and careful with everything. You are indeed a medic true to your actions and your heart." She stopped for a moment and then smiled a little as she finished packing and stowed the bag in a scroll setting it next to Gaara's. He had finished his packing well before her.

"Where are we going for our honeymoon Gaara?"

"I won't tell you until we get there, it will spoil the surprise. But I will tell you we will be spending two days in Konoha." Sakura was surprised to hear this but sighed happily all the same.

"It will be nice to see Konoha again. I'm afraid I haven't been in touch with anyone. It's been almost three months since I moved out and I'm sure everyone thinks I've abandoned them. Especially Naruto. I got a letter from him a while ago but I never replied. I feel awful about it but I have been so busy! Here I have it right here." She stood up and grabbed a white envelope from the table addressed to her in Naruto's sloppy handwriting.

 _Dear Sakura-chan,_

 _It's so boring without you here! Everyone misses you so much! Granny Tsunade drank for three days straight and Ino kept moping about. She's been all depressed and told me she was glad you are married and that she was coming to see you soon. I'm coming there as well Sakura-chan! As soon as I get the chance! I know things have been busy and we all heard about the trouble with the rogues and hope you guys are alright. Shikamaru asked me to tell you to say hello to Temari for him. Actually he said to say hello to Kankuro and Gaara as well but everyone knows he meant Temari. I wish he would just marry her already he's taking so long. You and Gaara were really quick about it and I'm sure he's liked Temari longer than you two liked each other._

 _Speaking of couples I thought I should tell you that Neji finally plucked up the courage and asked Tenten out on a date! I think that's a great thing for him maybe now he won't be so much of an ass._

 _Ah I forgot to say that I asked Hinata on a date as well. I figured since she's such a nice girl I should. She's been kind of sad since you left but then again everyone has. Please say you're coming to visit soon! I hope you are! We all miss you Sakura-chan!_

 _Love, Naruto_

Gaara read it and smiled at the blonde's obvious enthusiasm. "Well we'll see him in a day or two." She smiled back and took his hand leading him downstairs where she sat on the soft couch sinking into the cushions and flicking on the television. She changed it to the shinobi news channel and typed in her code as the news anchor came on talking about an attack on a family in Mist but Sakura just shook her head and shut it off. There was always something going on in Mist and most people paid it no mind. Mist was a cruel and sadistic place and everyone knew it. They never bothered with it and the news must be nonexistent if the news anchor was reduced to reporting on it.

"Gaara, what if we left tonight? I mean it would be safer if we traveled alone and we don't have to worry. I mean we're packed and it would be faster. We'll leave a note for Temari and Kankuro and tell them we're leaving." Sakura looked at Gaara and he gave her a questioning look.

"I have everything cleared and I was planning on traveling with you alone anyways. It is safer, especially now. A large envoy would draw too much attention. It is breaking protocol but I am sure an ANBU will follow us no matter what we do. We are always shadowed by them. I suppose we could leave but why so sudden? Why not wait until tomorrow? We have time." Gaara asked tracing her wrist with his finger in a way that he had begun to do as he found that she calmed when he gave her small affectionate touches. She blushed a little and looked down.

"Well I wanted to get to our honeymoon faster. It sounds really nice and I, well I need a break." Gaara nodded as he understood her reasoning.

"Alright we can leave today. Leave my siblings a note; I'll grab our traveling cloaks and our packs with our weapons and clothes."

She nodded and stood as Gaara went to get their supplies.

She grabbed a pad of paper that was lying on the counter and jotted down two quick notes before walking to their respective parts of the house and placing them there.

She walked back to the main entryway and saw Gaara standing in the hall with her hip pouch and her cloak.

He was wearing his usual clothing with the gourd strapped on his back. He looked at Sakura and she smiled, remembering the boy that she first met before the Chunin exams. The boy back then had been so hard and broken compared to the man that stood in front of her now. They were completely different but yet the same. She was sure that she loved him and always would and that moment reinforced it.

He looked at her his eyes questioning as she shook her head and smiled at him as he pulled her close to his chest as the familiar sand wrapped around them enveloping them in a comfortable feeling as they disappeared from the street leaving nothing behind. Sakura closed her eyes, she had never liked the split second that she felt the darkness around her until she felt them moving forward at a steady pace.

"We're out of Suna now. Do you feel alright Sakura? You look a bit nervous." Gaara asked Sakura who looked down and realized just how very high up they were. She wasn't afraid of heights but still, it was unnerving to be riding on moving sand that seemed, at times, so very unstable.

"I'm fine Gaara." Gaara looked at her with a questioning look as he held onto her waist pulling her closer to him. He took his gourd off his back and supported it against him with his sand. She looked at him perplexed as he did this.

"Climb onto my back like you did last time. We'll move faster and you won't have to look at the ground." He said calmly making her look at him a light blush on her cheeks as he smirked lightly at her catching her uneasiness on the sand right away. She obliged, climbing onto his back and nestling her head on his shoulder.

She smiled contently at the wonderful smell of sand, earthy musk, and sun that seemed to cling to him as the breeze blew his scent across to her nose.

She smiled and closed her eyes enjoying the warmth of being so close to him and the warm breeze that blew her hair around her face as they moved quickly through the air. She knew Gaara was shielding most of the unmercifully harsh wind from them both and was glad he was doing so.

Gaara glanced at Sakura out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help but admire the tranquility of her features.

Her gentle sloping nose dipped down to soft pink lips currently stretched into a content sort of smile. Her eyes were closed as dark pink eyelashes fluttered gently on her pale cheeks. He marveled for a moment at her expression and then turned his attention back to the travel ahead.

They stopped twice for water, both times being shielded by Gaara's protective sand.

"It's early spring in Konoha but I'm sure it's not extremely warm yet. It will be strange feeling the cooler air when I was just wearing a t-shirt and a skirt." Sakura mentioned as they passed into the beginnings of the forest.

Gaara made an affirming noise as Sakura wrapped her arms a little tighter around him and rested her chin on his shoulder. He glanced sideways at her as she sighed contentedly. "What's on your mind?" He asked as he noticed her gaze drop slightly.

She looked startled for a mere moment before her lips stretched into a small smile. "I was just thinking about how nice it will be to be in Konoha. Spring in Konoha is always one of the prettiest times of the year."

"I look forward to seeing it." Gaara murmured.

The conversation ended as Sakura began watching the trees that were flying by as they moved.

After a few hours Sakura knew they were close to Konoha as the temperature seemed to level out into a cold spring night and the grasslands were definitely beneath them.

Apparently, Gaara had sped up his sand as much as he wanted to and they were now traveling faster than most shinobi.

It was near midnight before they stopped. Sakura could hear the woodland animals moving silently about as she jumped off Gaara's back and stretched her muscles. They were on the edge of Fire Country, concealed in the very beginnings of the forest.

Gaara busied himself with setting up their camp, pulling out a scroll containing a large sleeping bag.

Sakura was familiar with these sleeping bags meant for two people, as she had to use them sometimes on missions to Snow Country where it was cold year round.

They were used to conserve body heat between people and had kept Team 7 and Team Kakashi warm on many occasions. More often than not, the sleeping bags had meant that Naruto ended up with injuries caused by a very angry Sakura who was not overly fond of her teammate's grabby hands.

This occasion was very different; she knew Gaara was not the overly affectionate type and did not move in his sleep and she actually wanted to be held by him.

Gaara made a sand hut around them as the two took off their packs and slid into the sleeping bag. As soon as the two were situated, Sakura slid into Gaara's waiting arms.

It was a routine now for both of them and they were so accustomed to it. Gaara found he could only sleep soundly when she was near.

He rested his chin on her head and she curled up in his arms. He smiled and closed his eyes, hoping to catch some sleep before they left the next morning. She was already asleep in his arms.

"Sakura, wake up." A calm voice was gently calling to her but she kept her eyes closed tight making a small frown as she rolled over in the sleeping bag.

"Ne, five more minutes." She mumbled as Gaara found himself amused as always at her resistance to waking up. He sighed and took down the sand hut sending the beginnings of the morning sunlight cascading over them both.

Sakura's face immediately contorted into a scowl and she covered her face in an attempt to shut out the light. "Alright I'm getting up." She mumbled, sitting up and stretching with her eyes closed.

Gaara was already out of the sleeping bag and was deftly attaching his gourd and packs into place as Sakura wiggled her way out of the sleeping bag. She spent a few moments combing her hair before retying her hitai-ate and attaching her packs.

He waited patiently for her to finish, placing the sleeping bag back into the scroll before nodding to her.

Sakura walked over to him and jumped lightly onto his back wrapping her arms around his neck as she rested her face next to his and smiled happily. She felt them lifting in the air and felt him support her legs as he had done the day before as they set off once again.

After a few hours of riding on the sand, accompanied by minor breaks for water and food, they found themselves very close to Konoha.

It wasn't nearly as cold as the last time they were in Konoha being that it was now nearly April. The temperature was actually rather comfortably warm, much warmer than Sakura remembered.

There was still a slight chill in the air but the warmth in the wind promised of spring days to come. The trees around them had great green buds for flowers and a few already had their full leaves.

The whistling sound of the wind in the trees immediately calmed Sakura greatly. She had missed that sound. The wind in Konoha was much more forgiving and soft than the brutal sand filled wind of Suna.

Soon Sakura began to become excited when they passed the outermost training fields. She knew that in a matter of minutes they would find themselves at Konoha's gates.

As Sakura caught sight of the bridge and gates she felt her heart jump and her pulse quicken. She was almost home.

"Gaara you can put me down now we're almost there." He shook his head slightly, looking straight ahead.

"I'm sorry Sakura but I don't want to yet. I would prefer it if you stayed where you are." She rolled her eyes but obliged, putting her head back on his shoulder as he smirked triumphantly and continued riding his sand towards the open gates of Konoha.

In their stand next to the gates Kotetsu was sleeping and Izumo was lazily doing a crossword.

Neither was on high alert as they hadn't had any intel of incoming shinobi or returning squads. By all accounts it was simply another lazy day in Konoha, standard procedure for the both of them.

Izumo was agonizing over a word that supposedly referred to a weapon used by the mist village when he saw a bright flash of pink and red out of the corner of his eye. His head shot up as he nudged Kotetsu.

He woke up and looked at Izumo with a critical glare for a split second as the former merely pointed to someone who had just _flown_ through the gates.

"We are here for a few days. No need to tell the Hokage, she'll find out in a little while." Kotetsu and Izumo merely stared at the duo. Neither one had been aware that the Kazekage and the slightly blushing Sakura riding piggyback style would be arriving in Konoha. They were also incredibly surprised to see them unaccompanied by an envoy. It was nearly unheard of for a Kage to travel with only shadow ANBU backup.

"Hey Kotetsu, Izumo! Nice to see you! We have some catching up to do! No doubt Ino will want to have a get-together for me, make sure you're there!" Sakura smiled and waved as Gaara flew them away.

"We should let the Hokage know we are here." He stated as they flew towards the Hokage building over top of the rooftops.

Below the traveling pair, a rather dejected looking Naruto was walking down the street to the falconry, hoping he had gotten a letter from Sakura. He had heard about the attack on Suna and had not heard anything other than a "she's my student of course she's fine!" from a rather drunk and agitated Tsunade.

Naruto was worried about her, she hadn't sent any word and he had only heard snippets from others who had heard something about her during their missions. He missed his best friend a lot; Konoha just wasn't the same without her.

He looked up at the rooftops and silently willed the sky to send him some sort of a message. Just then, he thought he saw a blur of pink and red out of the corner of his eye. He stopped dead in his tracks and whirled around to look, only to be met with blue sky and a group of birds twittering on the rooftops. He scanned around once more thinking that maybe he had not been seeing things, only to find no trace of any pink haired girl.

"Man I miss Sakura-chan so much my eyes are tricking me into seeing her!" He shook his head and continued down the road with a sigh.

"Gaara I think I just saw Naruto." Sakura looked back over her shoulder as Gaara slowed the sand. She looked around at the ground but, upon not seeing her blonde haired friend, shook her head. "Never mind it must have just been something yellow that caught my eye."

Gaara nodded and continued until they both hovered in front of Tsunade's window which was open to let in the breeze. The blonde herself was currently standing up near the bookshelf across the room.

The first thing Sakura noticed was the new picture on her desk of Sakura and Gaara at their first wedding smiling together and another picture of her in her medic uniform next to Shizune and Tsunade after her first examination. They were all so happy and Sakura looked relieved as she smiled into the camera.

Sakura looked at Gaara and gestured to the photos. He let her down as they both stepped in through the window. They saw Tsunade's shoulders move a little as she turned around with her eyes closed.

"I swear Naruto you can't just use the door like a normal pers…" She froze as her eyes opened and she saw Sakura and Gaara standing in her office as if it was something they did every day.

Tsunade had always been a woman known for being rather harsh in terms of emotions and the like and her shout was something to be reckoned with.

The resounding yell, sounding rather joyful in nature as opposed to the usual fury or frustration, that sounded from the Hokage tower shook the birds from the trees and was loud enough for Kotetsu and Izumo to hear it making them smirk, knowing that Sakura had arrived at the Hokage tower.

Sakura surged forwards and pulled Tsunade into a hug that the blonde awkwardly returned. "Shishou it is so good to see you!" Tsunade stared at her as Sakura pulled back and regarded her with a beaming smile. Her gaze flickered to the Kazekage who bowed politely to her and moved forwards towards his wife.

"What are you two doing here!? I haven't heard a thing about either one of you traveling. Where is your envoy?" She looked around to the window with a stern expression, half-expecting to see ANBU standing watch outside.

She watched as Sakura shared a rather guilty look with a rather unfazed Gaara.

"We're actually going on our honeymoon. We never got the chance to what with me being the head medical director and Gaara being the Kazekage. We had a hard time getting away but we left early with our usual guard so we wouldn't have a large envoy. It was more inconspicuous to travel like that." Tsunade gave her a stern look but then sighed, she couldn't really fault them, she herself hated the large envoys. They were gaudy and annoying and she always had attributed them to a large neon sign saying "Look someone important! Come and get me!" Tsunade was about to comment on the matter when a loud knock sounded on her door just before two shinobi entered the room.

"Hokage-sama? We heard a shout from outside is Naru-" A familiar face stood in the door frame as brown eyes fell onto emerald and turquoise ones. Shikamaru and Choji stared at Gaara and Sakura with rather shocked expressions.

"What are you two doing here?" Shikamaru asked, breaking the silence with a quizzical stare.

He had little time to assess the situation as Sakura rushed forward and enveloped her friend in a hug. Sakura let go of Shikamaru as he nodded to Gaara who gave him a nod in return. Sakura smiled at Choji as the two shinobi became accustomed to the unexpected presence of the Kazekage and Sakura.

"We're on a vacation and we decided to stop by and see everyone." Sakura explained as Shikamaru gave her his usual "This is unusual." look.

"Good. You both work too hard I'm sure." He drawled, giving them a lazy smile. Choji beamed and took the opportunity to interject an idea.

"Well I say we go and have some good barbeque to celebrate your return. Surely you can't refuse the best barbeque in Konoha. Besides, Ino will have both of our hides if she finds out we saw you before she did and didn't set something up." Shikamaru's face fell at the mention of their overzealous blonde teammate and he muttered a trademark "troublesome woman." Under his breath.

Sakura, knowing they were exactly right, smiled and nodded while laying a hand on Gaara's arm.

"Well of course we won't turn it down! You're right Choji, Ino-pig probably would skin us all alive. But let's just keep it to our group for now, I can take the blame later. Tenuchi Barbeque right?"

"Of course! As if there was any other place to get barbeque!" Choji exclaimed as Sakura laughed. The group turned to look Gaara who had been silent throughout the entire exchange.

"We'll meet you there." He stated with a small smile and Sakura looked at him confused for a split second before she caught on and clambered onto his back. The trio of onlookers raised their eyebrows in surprise as the usually sensible and serious Kazekage climbed out the window with Sakura on his back before taking off with his sand.

"Bye Shishou! We'll talk later!" Sakura called out, waving to Tsunade.

"Hey what's with Gaara carrying Sakura? Can she not use chakra or something?" Choji questioned, watching them leave as Shikamaru lazily regarded the scene with a smile.

Tsunade looked at Choji with furrowed brows.

"Her chakra was perfectly normal. That's their weird way of avoiding confrontation." She gave a definitive nod as Shikamaru sighed and waved to her lazily, knowing the impromptu meeting was over.

Tsunade was completely content now that she had seen Sakura. She had been worried when she heard of the attack on Suna. She knew Sakura could cope with the medical staff and she knew Gaara would protect her but still, it made her nervous.

She shook her head and sat down in her chair with a smile as a small thought crawled into her mind. She pondered it for a moment before shaking her head. _"No she would have told me. He is most likely just enjoying showing off."_ She smiled and nodded, satisfied as she went back to doing something she rarely ever did; paperwork.

"Hey was that- no it couldn't have been." Kiba shook his head as he swore he saw a flash of pink and red pass by.

He had been taking a walk and had had the misfortune of running into Lee who was doing his late afternoon laps around Konoha, naturally completing them by walking on his hands. He had been talking to the jumpsuit clad shinobi about chakra control after Lee had practically forced him into the conversation, and was about to make his excuses when the flash of color had caught his eye.

He was going to keep walking and part from Lee at the next corner but caught a scent in the air that had him freeze and then grab Lee by the back of his flak jacket, hauling him upright and dragging him down the street as Lee spluttered and looked at him with a confused glance.

"Kiba has the springtime of youth gotten into you today?" He questioned, earning a warning look from Kiba.

"I smelled a scent I haven't smelled in a few months. Come on Lee quit dragging your feet!" He let go of the green clad boy who ran alongside Kiba and Akamaru who had barked at Kiba.

"Yosh! I shall pursue this person with you Kiba!" He grinned as Kiba rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah come on Lee." He smirked and pushed on where he smelled the familiar scent that was so faint on the air but unmistakably there. He turned a quick corner and smelled a strong scent of barbeque making him stop and curse. Of all the things to mess up his smell, food was the one that always got him. In that split moment he had lost the scent.

"Akamaru find the scent!" The dog barked and put his nose to the ground before barking again, making Kiba nod as Lee stood there watching them. "Come on Lee I found it." He nodded to Akamaru who barked and ran off leaving the boys alone as they walked towards the barbeque shop where he saw Shikamaru and Choji walking inside.

"Shikamaru! Choji!" Lee called as they walked into the barbeque place and saw their friends enter a private back room. Choji turned and smiled lightly, waving them over as he sat down disappearing from view behind the high back of the large booth. Lee and Kiba walked over to their table and froze when they saw a familiar pink haired girl and her red haired husband.

"Sakura-chan and Kazekage-sama!" Lee practically yelled, making the two look up at the black haired man. Sakura's expression faltered for a mere moment before she smiled at the green clad shinobi.

"Hi Lee, Kiba, it's good to see you both!" Kiba grinned in triumph.

"I knew I smelled your scent! I was sure I was imagining things! How've you been and what are you doing in Konoha?!" He motioned for Lee to sit down as the black haired man took a spot next to Choji on the far side of the booth.

"We're doing great and we're on our way to somewhere for a vacation. I have absolutely no idea to where though as he refuses to tell me!" She looked at Gaara and he shrugged.

"It's a honeymoon trip you shouldn't know, it was Kankuro's idea he said it had to be a surprise." Sakura shook her head as Kiba's ear perked up at the word honeymoon.

"Ah so it's your honeymoon eh? Thought you'd already have had that." Kiba grinned at Gaara and waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Sakura shot the Inuzuka a disbelieving glance.

"Well not a proper one according to my siblings." Sakura blushed heavily as the others laughed. Oh how she hated being at the mercy of Konoha's perverted shinobi.

"Well I know one person who will be ecstatic to see you guys. Naruto hasn't shut up for a month. He was in a state of panic after he heard about the attack on Suna and we had to restrain him until it was over so he didn't do something stupid and run off trying to help." Kiba stated as Shikamaru nodded with a pained expression.

"It took us two days to get him under control. He was actually confined to his apartment. The idiot." Sakura shook her head, not at all surprised to hear this information.

"Baka. He's always trying to do that." Her voice was not angry, simply exasperated at her former teammate's reckless nature.

They ordered the barbeque and got caught up on things in Konoha before talking about Suna. Sakura explained in detail about the attack and Gaara told them how Sakura punched the former medical director into a wall after he insulted her then had him banned from any medical work of any kind.

That got a laugh from everyone as Sakura played the situation off as just dealing with people like she's been taught. They all smiled fondly at Sakura each one realizing how much they really did miss her.

As Kiba talked about how Akamaru raced halfway across town because he smelled a potential mate, which turned out to be a poodle in heat, Shikamaru was thinking about something else.

He saw how happy Gaara and Sakura were and realized how much he really did miss the pink haired medic when she was in Suna. He also realized how much he missed a certain blonde with an attitude that he hadn't seen in a few months.

He rarely saw her despite the fact that they had been going out secretly for a year. It was extremely troublesome, each one keeping up the façade that the other hadn't made a move, but it suited them both.

Shikamaru, however, was getting tired of it all. He was planning on simplifying matters by marrying her and moving to Suna, at least until he could get her to come to Konoha. He was the future head of his clan after all. He highly doubted that anyone had ever given thought to the sand siblings leaving much less getting married. He knew this and he decided that he would act the next time he saw Temari. He knew he couldn't keep their façade up much longer with the prying nature of Sakura and the friendship between the two, he knew it was bound to escalate sooner or later.

"So I decided to go find Naruto and wouldn't you know it, he was stuck in the mouth of one of the giant frogs because he had made him angry." Choji finished his story as Sakura laughed while the others enjoyed the laughter that had been absent from Konoha.

It was strange, when she was gone on missions for months at a time or holed up in the hospital so much that no one ever saw her they didn't miss her nearly as much as now when they knew she was gone and living somewhere else. The group rarely ever saw one another since they had advanced rank. They had only really gotten together when circumstances had allowed. But now, with one of the components missing, they realized how much they felt it when someone was missing. Sakura had always been a staple in Konoha, having never actually left to train like Naruto, and was not often on missions.

Kiba, who was only pretending to listen to Lee spout off something about a new 'high-intensity training regime', had been observing Sakura and noticed something different about her headband. "Hey Sakura did you get a new hitai-ate?" Sakura looked at him with surprise as Lee finished his story and the group turned their attention to Sakura.

She nodded and touched the headband on her pink hair before smiling.

"Oh I must have grabbed my new one when I left. Here, do you want to see it?" She took it out of her hair and handed it to him.

He put it in the middle of the table and they all looked at it in silence, the realization hitting them all with a sudden finality.

The mark of Suna was proudly displayed on her headband stating that her allegiance was to Suna.

Kiba was the first to speak again, saying it looked nice. She smiled and put it back on snapping the others out of their stupor.

The waitress came back around to get the bill and everyone began to attempt to divvy up who had eaten what and how to pay for it. Gaara merely nodded to the waitress who had recognized him immediately.

"I've got a tab here for Kankuro when he visits." He stated as the others realized their squabbling had been taken care of. They thanked him as the group stood and began walking out.

"Hey do you guys wanna come to the training fields? Naruto said something about training later today and maybe we'll catch him there." Kiba asked as they walked outside where Akamaru greeted Sakura with a huge lick and a bark.

"Sure that'd be great." She said smiling and Kiba grinned.

"Race you there?" He asked looking at the others in the group.

"You're on!" Sakura beamed and Gaara looked at her as she smiled at him climbing onto his back again making Kiba raise an eyebrow and the others smile. "Ok on the count of three; one two three!"

Gaara shot off on his sand as the others jumped onto the rooftops rushing along at top speed as Gaara suddenly turned left on his sand and started to speed up with Sakura burying her face in his red hair.

He slowed and Sakura felt him stop as she raised her head up to see them hovering above the training grounds. They descended to the ground and she slid off as they caught sight of a blonde lying further down in the training area, obviously out cold. There were a few marks on the ground and quite a few kunai telling her that he had been sparring with clones again.

Lee arrived first with Kiba and the others close behind.

"How the heck do you go that fast?" Kiba asked as they approached the couple.

"His sand is impressive." She stated as she began moving towards the unconscious blonde.

The group followed her as she knelt down and put her hands over her teammate, doing a quick scan of him to be sure that yes, he was fine, just resting. She rolled her eyes and yelled at him knowing it to be an effective way of getting him up. "Hey Naruto! Kakashi-sensei told me we've got a mission!" The blonde shot up and jumped to his feet before blinking as he saw the others around him and heard a girly laugh. He whirled around and saw Sakura standing there laughing. His blue eyes filled with happiness and he shot towards her with a shout.

"SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto rushed at her, wrapping his arms around her and slamming into her with enough force to make her stumble a little as her blonde friend picked her up in a bone crushing hug and spun her around. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming!? I've missed you so much Sakura-chan!" He hugged her again and Sakura beamed.

"Naruto I didn't have time to tell anyone I was coming I didn't know until yesterday! It was kind of a surprise trip and he still won't tell me where we are ultimately going." She stated, looking at Gaara who smirked as Naruto turned to him and enveloped him in a hug that made the red head look a little surprised. He really wasn't used to anyone but Sakura's hugs. Naruto looked at them and beamed.

"I'm so glad you guys are here! We can go get ramen later and you can see everyone else! We've all missed you guys! Ino was bawling for at least a week after you left Sakura and even Kakashi-sensei mentioned that it was strange knowing you weren't living here anymore. We have to go see everyone else!"

"I'm sorry I didn't come earlier we are a little busy in Suna." Naruto's blue eyes flickered from her to Gaara and back again before grinning. Before he could say anything else Kiba's voice cut across the clearing.

"So I'm assuming we're not sparring now huh?" Kiba nodded to Naruto who looked about ready to burst with excitement. Sakura glanced at her blonde teammate and shrugged.

"Well we could go see everyone else now instead." Sakura suggested as Naruto's face lit up even more.

Sensing that this would lead to a long evening of dragging Sakura back and forth, Shikamaru decided to weasel his way out of it.

"I think I'm going to go and watch some clouds. Choji are you coming?" Choji looked at Shikamaru and nodded, knowing that his friend probably had the right idea in disappearing.

"Yeah we'll catch up with you guys later. Ino's going to have a party for you no matter what so we'll be there." Sakura nodded and waved to them both, walking away with Naruto on her left and Gaara on her right.

The group was abuzz with excitement, mostly coming from Naruto, as they walked back into Konoha. Gaara was politely listening to Lee while Kiba criticized some of his statements and Sakura was telling Naruto what had happened in Suna.

He was asking numerous questions and she was answering them with a tried patience, smiling because she knew that she really had missed her teammate. They walked through the town nodding to those who called out to them and feeling like the center of attention.

The news that the Kazekage and the Kazehime were back in Konoha was spreading like wildfire already. Across the city, Tenten was walking with Neji and Hinata talking to them near a store when they heard a Jonin passing by say something about the Kazekage. Tenten stopped the two Hyuuga and forced them both to listen in as the Jonin and his companion stopped.

"Yeah apparently they're back in Konoha. Someone said they saw them on the market road." Tenten looked at Neji and Hinata, both of whom seemed mildly surprised at the information.

Tenten took off onto the rooftops with Hinata close behind. Neji was mainly following them because Tenten had grabbed his arm and practically drug him up onto the rooftops.

They jumped down onto the market road and immediately noticed a pink haired person laughing happily next to Naruto. Tenten's eyes got wide and she rushed forward.

"Sakura! We heard that you were back!" She grinned as Sakura turned and waved at the approaching group.

"Sakura, Gaara it is nice to see you." Hinata stated as Sakura smiled at the shy girl.

"Where is your envoy?" Neji questioned as Tenten gave him an exasperated look.

"Sure Neji, just forget to greet our friends." Neji moved to protest as Tenten shook her head. "He's just being proper as usual." Neji shot her a glance as Sakura turned her attention to Hinata.

"Is Ino at her shop today?" Sakura asked as Hinata nodded. "We're going to go and pay her a visit."

"Great! We'll come with you!" Tenten grinned and the group started up the road once again in a mass of talking and smiling as Tenten questioned Sakura about what life was like in Suna. She answered as best as she could but was not prepared for what Tenten shot at her next.

"So I heard Kiba say you were going on your honeymoon. I would have thought you'd already had that. Or is this like a second honeymoon that's going to be more romantic or something?" Sakura blushed minutely and rubbed her neck.

"It's more of a proper honeymoon as we had to start working as soon as we got to Suna." Tenten looked up at Gaara who had finally joined the conversation by way of answering for Sakura.

Before Tenten could say anything else, Sakura and the group stopped in front of the Yamanaka flower shop where they could see Ino watering some plants in the window. Sakura walked through the door, ringing the bell as she did so.

"Welcome to the Yamanaka flower shop how may I…" Ino's eyes widened as she locked eyes with her pink haired best friend. "Forehead!" Ino broke out of her stupor, pulling Sakura in for a hug, her watering forgotten as Sakura laughed and hugged her back.

"You jerk! When did you get here I haven't heard anything from you in months! Why the are you here and why didn't you tell me you were coming!?" She hit Sakura's arms as she pulled away, making Sakura laugh again.

"I missed you too Ino-pig." Sakura grinned at Ino's usual drama filled antics as she ushered the rest of the group inside the shop.

"All of you come on to the back and we'll have some celebratory lemonade!" They all accepted and followed Ino through the shop, except for Neji who tried to sneak out but was grabbed by Lee.

Tenten giggled as Neji glared and the group walked into the back room. There were a few couches around so they all sat down as Ino brought back a bunch of glasses and two pitchers of lemonade. She poured them all a glass and the group took them talking again happily catching Ino up on everything as she declared there would have a party making everyone laugh and Kiba say "I told you so!" Ino then turned to Sakura just as she was taking a sip of lemonade.

"So Sakura, any kids on the way yet?" Sakura's eyes went wide and she started coughing heavily putting down her lemonade as Tenten hit her on the back making her cough again and look at Ino with a disbelieving expression that was quickly morphing into annoyance. All eyes in the room were immediately on her as Kiba grinned wolfishly and Naruto's jaw dropped.

"What?" Ino rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on! We all know you've had at least some sort of a honeymoon!" Sakura turned bright red even as her eyebrows drew together and Gaara became infinitely more uncomfortable.

"No Ino, I am not a pregnant housewife I am a busy shinobi and a medic." Ino rolled her eyes and waved her off.

"Oh you'll find a way to balance that, I know you Forehead. I am so going to be Auntie Ino! How cute does that sound?!" She clapped her hands together and grinned as Sakura gave her an exasperated look as Kiba laughed while Gaara and Neji looked on in stoic silence. Gaara especially did not like what the blonde was insinuating. Naruto just looked confused.

"Wait honeymoon? Like a couple's thing?" Sakura rolled her eyes at her blonde teammate who was, as usual, hung up on the first part of Ino's declaration, and sighed.

"Yes Naruto, a honeymoon, a trip people take when they get married. I know you know this!" Naruto scrunched up his nose for a moment before grinning at his friend.

"Oh so like Icha Icha!" Tenten caught the fist that had automatically lashed out at the blonde as Naruto threw up his hands in self defense.

"Don't hit him in here! I need this shop Forehead." Ino scolded her as Sakura unclenched her fist and lowered it, her eyes shut as she shook her head.

Kiba was howling with laughter as Hinata's face turned bright red. Sakura reached beside her and threw a pillow at Naruto's head with violent force as the blonde merely grinned, knowing full well what he had implied. Naruto, idiot though he was, was not as naïve as he once had been and now used this to his advantage.

Naruto winked at Gaara who humored him with a small nod. He was used to Kankuro's perverted sense of humor and had stumbled across one of the Icha Icha books that his brother had bought after suggestion from Kakashi. He was enlightened by the book and had to admit that the plot, minus the constant sex, was rather good.

He still hadn't touched the Icha Icha books Jiraiya gave him at his bachelor party. He had them safely stowed in Kankuro's house. He had to admit he was almost relieved that he gave them to Kankuro for fear of Sakura finding them. He had heard from Naruto that she had not been a fan of the books.

Ino turned her attention to Sakura once more and flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder.

"So Forehead, the party's tonight. I'll tell you the exact time when I talk to Tsunade, she'll want to be included. I'll come over and tell you when I know." Sakura nodded and looked at everyone.

"I'm so happy to see all of you and I really want to catch up, but we haven't been back to my house yet and I think we should get going. Make sure everyone who can be there is there tonight Ino-pig. I still haven't seen the Sensei." Ino rolled her eyes as Sakura stood and left the room, followed by some of the group.

"As if they wouldn't be!" Sakura called her goodbyes as she and Gaara parted from the group and began the walk to her home.

Sakura looped her hand through the crook in Gaara's arm as they walked up the street to her house. "I'm glad to be back in Konoha." Gaara nodded as they walked up the steps and she took out the key in her pouch sighing as she put it in the lock and turned it before walking inside.

Everything was like they had left it. Someone had been cleaning it as it was miraculously dust free. Sakura immediately noticed how small it was compared to their house in Suna.

Actually it was tiny compared to their house in Suna. Sakura was a bit taken-aback. Her house had never seemed this small when she had lived in it! In fact, compared to most of her friend's apartments, it was large. Gaara observed her as she meandered into the living room, looking around before turning back to him.

"We only have two days here so we should enjoy them." Gaara murmured after Sakura's face had morphed into a slightly wistful expression.

She turned her gaze back to him and walked to his side, pulling his face down to hers to peck his lips. She gave him a small smile as she pulled away.

They both made their way into her room, discarding their packs on the dresser. The bed was still made and everything she didn't take with her was still on the shelf but it was pretty much empty with only a few things lying around. She sighed and sat on the bed as Gaara sat next to her and took her hand in his. "What is it Sakura? You've been acting different." She looked at him and shrugged.

"It's nothing Gaara I'm just remembering things about this house. Good things." She glanced at him from under her eyelashes as she ran a hand along his arm.

He hummed in response, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

End of Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sakura had unpacked her scrolls and was now sitting on the sofa watching a television program while Gaara read over some scrolls he had brought with him. They both had decided to relax from their travel before going out to meet the others. Sakura had wanted to walk around Konoha but had ultimately decided that taking a break was a good thing.

Occasionally she could see Gaara frowning and circling things beside her, making no noise as he did so other than the occasional sigh. His sighing and the television droning on in the background were the only noises in the room; there was no conversation between the two and Sakura was completely fine with the companionable silence.

Around four Sakura heard footsteps on the stairs followed by the door flying open to allow Ino to stride right over to the living room where they were sitting without a single pause in her movements.

"Well hi Ino! Come on in!" Sakura quipped sarcastically as Ino rolled her eyes.

"I'm here to deliver important information Forehead. The party's at six at the club where Tsunade had her Christmas party. Dress nice, it's formal, and yes Forehead, that means a dress." She gave Sakura a pointed look as Sakura's eyebrow's furrowed. "I'll leave so you can have about an hour and a half to get ready. I'll see you tonight and I mean it about the dress thing!" She pointed a perfectly manicured finger at Sakura reproachfully and then waved with a cordial smile before leaving the house and shutting the door.

Sakura huffed in an annoyance as Gaara looked at her with a cautiously quizzical expression.

"You'd think she owned the place! I seriously need to get an Ino alarm system. Obviously not setting up traps when I'm in the house isn't working." She grumbled as she shut off the television and stood up from the couch. "I'd better start getting ready. I have no idea what to wear." Gaara stood and followed her to her bedroom where they had previously placed their scrolls. Sakura tossed him his and then retreated to the bathroom.

Gaara opened his scroll once he heard the water running and picking out a white long sleeved collared shirt with some simple black dress pants. He paired this with a black jacket he had brought in case of a formal occasion.

Sakura had found a simple red halter dress that Ino had once bought her for a clan dinner she had been forced to attend. She had packed it in case Ino decided to throw a formal party, which she figured was inevitable. The dress itself reached to her knees and had an open back with a criss-cross pattern and a simple halter neckline. It complimented her usual fashion tastes and could be worn with a pair of plain black heels. Sakura pulled her hair up into a simple ponytail letting a few strands frame her face before applying a tiny amount of mascara.

The result was simple but elegant and Sakura was rather happy with her appearance. She opened the door to the bedroom and saw Gaara waiting by the door. His turquoise eyes scanned her immediately as she herself couldn't resist scanning his appearance as he so rarely wore suits.

"You look wonderful."

"I would say the same but stunning fits better." He gave her a small smile, secretly proud that the etiquette and courtesy training he had so loathed when he had first become Kazekage now had meaning when knowing how to compliment Sakura. She followed him to the door where she grabbed a white jacket and slid it on.

They stepped outside into the cool night air of Konoha and descended the steps to the street. Gaara held one of her hands lightly in his as they walked out onto the street. The walk to the club was relatively peaceful and both enjoyed the silence of the twilight around them. Few people were out as it was just around dinnertime. The few that saw them and recognized them nodded or smiled but respected the stillness of the evening.

The pair turned onto the road that led to the club and immediately noticed that they could already hear the party going on. Sakura looked at Gaara with a slightly apprehensive expression and sighed.

"Are you ready for this? Ino can go over the top, a lot." He smirked at her serious expression.

"I remember from the bachelorette and bachelor after party." Sakura nodded and squeezed his hand slightly as they walked into the club entryway.

The guard nodded to them and opened the door to the inner part of the club. The two thanked him and stepped inside.

Music and lights filled the club as people milled about the spacious room. All those currently inside were rather early, and all of them were sporting obvious signs of being shinobi, even if their nice apparel suggested otherwise. Ino must have threatened them all to be well dressed as Sakura could hardly ever remember seeing most of the shinobi out of standard wear unless forced.

A small group of their friends spotted them as Sakura gave the coat girl her jacket and headed over to where Ino was enthusiastically waving them over.

"Forehead you really clean up nicely! See I always said that dresses suited you!" Ino commented as soon as Sakura was close enough to hear her.

"Not so bad yourself Pig." Ino smirked and tossed her hair over her shoulder with a glance to the others sitting at the table.

"I wasn't so sure about the rest of them showing up in formal attire but they seemed to have done an adequate job." The three of them walked over to a table where a small portion of their friend group was gathered. Sakura rolled her eyes at the statement. She knew that Ino was not opposed to abusing her powers of mind-linking to force people to do what she wanted. That paired with her uncanny ability to wreck annoying havoc on people's lives usually did the trick in getting people to cave to her will.

A beaming Naruto was the first to enthusiastically jump up and greet them when they reached the table.

"You look great Sakura-chan! I'm glad you're back in Konoha, tonight is going to be awesome!" Naruto hugged her and smiled at Gaara who nodded at the blonde.

Sakura eyed his apparel with a quirk of her brow wondering where Naruto had managed to find a blue and orange striped tie _and_ an orange shirt. Ino, catching her gaze rolled her eyes and shook her head while putting her hands up in a 'beats me' motion.

Hinata, wearing a gorgeous long purple dress, greeted them after Naruto, blushing as the blonde boy commented on the color of her dress looking nice. Sakura gave Gaara a sideways glance, which he returned, as Hinata retreated to the table.

Sakura watched Hinata leave as she noticed the other early attendees sitting around the table.

She was surprised to see Lee, who was now greeting her and Gaara with a beaming smile, dressed in a green dress jacket with a white shirt that matched his style while not looking overly vibrant. It was one of the few times Sakura could ever recall seeing him out of the green jumpsuit, though she had a feeling it was still on under his outfit.

Neji, who was wearing a rather stiff but simple looking haori sat near Tenten who was dressed in a nice looking cheongsam style dress in a deep blue color. They both were obviously sitting near Lee to make sure he didn't touch a drop of alcohol.

Sakura took a seat next to Gaara at the table as Shino greeted them from his silent place across the table. She had yet to see Choji or Shikamaru and assumed that Ino, who had disappeared with an annoyed look on her face, was looking for them.

Just as Tenten had begun a conversation with Sakura, Kiba showed up at the table with a grin plastered on his face.

"Hey you guys gotta come and dance! Come on I even saw Kotetsu and Izumo dancing but none of you guys are!" Sakura looked at Kiba and then at Gaara.

"Well one dance wouldn't hurt." She conceded as Gaara nodded.

"We might as well." Kiba beamed and looked at the others as Naruto and Lee stood as well along with a blushing Hinata who had been silently urged on by Shino of all people.

Ino had reappeared and had strolled right out onto the dance floor and started dancing next to Genma who's senbon was still annoying tucked between his teeth.

Sakura was making her way to the dance floor with Gaara when she caught sight of Choji sitting at the bar. She noticed his hand tighten on the glass he was holding almost to the point of breaking it.

She touched Gaara's arm lightly and motioned towards Choji. His turquoise eyes regarded the man for a moment before he nodded to Sakura and followed her to the bar.

Sakura didn't waste time saying hi to Choji as she promptly grabbed his arm and all but thrust him onto the dance floor. He ended up right next to Ino who turned and looked at him in surprise. He looked awkward for a split second before the blonde smiled and began coaxing him to dance.

Those that had seen the minor spectacle chuckled as Sakura returned to Gaara's side with a casual smile.

"What? He wanted to anyways." She waved her hand dismissively as Gaara took her hand and smiled discreetly at his wife.

Shikamaru, who had obviously arrived late, had nodded to Sakura and Gaara as he slipped across the room and out of Ino's line of sight. He had avoided Ino's wrath by mere moments, ducking behind a rather clumsy Naruto whose jerky dance movements had Hinata's face a permanent shade of red.

Successfully avoiding her glance, he slid into the booth next to Shino and had ordered a drink. He now sat with a content look on his face as he lazily sipped his own drink.

"Thinking about something Shikamaru?" Shino asked, breaking his usual silent demeanor as he noticed the shadow wielder's eyes had the familiar look that meant he was deep in thought. Shikamaru looked at him and sighed his usual sigh.

"Yeah. I think I'm going to go to Suna soon." Shino nodded and Neji regarded him with a pointed look from across the table.

"I knew you would leave sooner or later. We all knew. Sakura knew you would before the rest of us did." Shikamaru looked up at the usually stoic Hyuuga and nodded.

"I know. I never would have even thought of making any sort of move unless she had taken that leap with Gaara. I think she changed all of us, troublesome woman." Neji nodded slightly as Tenten ran over and pulled on his hand. He followed her to the dance floor reluctantly but Shikamaru knew that he wanted to go but was still hiding behind his icy demeanor as he always had and probably always would.

Shino and Shikamaru watched as their friends danced and talked for a while until Shino, having had enough of the party, made his excuses and left.

"Do you think we should have stayed with Shikamaru? He looks lonely." Sakura asked, looking over at her friend. Gaara took her hand in his, spinning them around.

"We will join him in a moment. The dress you are wearing is too nice for me not to appreciate." He placed his hand on her mostly bare back sending shivers up her spine that he felt.

He looked at her with a slightly amused expression as the fast song changed to a slow one fitting their current style of dance. Gaara held her hand in his own with his hand on her back and her hand resting on his upper back as they moved around the dance floor easily.

All eyes not currently involved in dancing were upon Gaara and Sakura as they moved so perfectly to the song matching every step and swell of the music. They made another turn as Sakura twirled out and back in, pressed against Gaara's chest now making her blush as he kept her in that position holding her close and moving in a slow circle. They were completely content to once again simply take in the other's scent and closeness as they had done at their first wedding.

"Gaara the song ended." Sakura whispered as a fast song came on and Gaara continued to move with her in a slow circle.

"I noticed." He murmured as Sakura sighed and laughed. He looked at her completely bemused as she looked back up at him with a beaming smile.

"Oh Gaara you didn't have to wait until a slow song came on to hold me like that. I am welcome to it any time." She pulled out of his embrace and twirled out before twirling back into his arms where he caught her and dipped her down quickly and then back up again. "Where did you learn to dance so well?" She giggled as he held her close once more.

"Dancing lessons for political mixers when I first became Kazekage." He replied as Sakura laughed.

After the song they had been dancing to bled into another equally fast paced song, Sakura decided it was time to greet some of the others in the room.

She took Gaara's arm and immediately began guiding him to where she had spotted a masked man silently watching them.

"Yo Sakura, Gaara, how has my favorite former student and her husband been?" Sakura smiled at her lazy former Sensei. He had lost the flak jacket but the standard Jonin shirt and pants were still in place.

"We've been great Kakashi-sensei! Busy though, you know how it gets when you're working in a hospital and going to meetings all of the time." She watched as he shook his head.

"I really don't know how that feels. I've never really been one to go to meetings." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Yeah I would expect that you wouldn't know. I know you take it easy Sensei, we all know, you are late to everything because of it." Kakashi shook his head at her.

"Such harsh words. I am not always late, and I always have a good reason." Sakura merely rolled her eyes like she had when she was younger.

"Sensei, you never gave us a good reason." She joked as Gaara watched their interaction with a sense of detachedness. He hadn't ever been as close to Baki as Sakura obviously was with Kakashi, of course, Baki was also a very different man.

Gaara listened to Sakura lecture Kakashi about reporting to the hospital for post-mission checkups regardless of the fact that she was no longer there.

He was listening to Kakashi's excuses when he noticed Ino spot them and rush over as Sakura caught sight of her and groaned. Kakashi, having familiarized himself with Sakura's trademark 'it's Ino again' groan early on in her Genin years nodded to them and mumbled something about talking to Kurenai before conveniently disappearing.

"Gaara, Sakura are you enjoying the party!?" Ino glided to the pair and leaned on a post near them sipping something that smelled obnoxiously fruity.

"It's nice Ino, I'm happy to see everyone, thanks for having it." Ino beamed and then quirked her head towards Gaara and then back to Sakura, looking at them with obvious new interest.

"So when exactly do you leave for your honeymoon?" Sakura was about to answer when Tsunade came over in a slightly buzzed state and cut her off with a slightly slurred exclamation.

"They leave tomorrow!" Sakura looked at her in disbelief.

"No Shishou, we're staying for a few days right?" She furrowed her brow in confusion and looked at her husband. He looked a little guilty as he nodded towards Tsunade.

"I was thinking we could stay longer when we return. I asked Tsunade to set up something for us and the only time she could get was tomorrow. I promise we can stay at least five days when we get back." Sakura turned to Gaara once more with a look of utter surprise on her face.

Ino and Tsunade shared a concerned glance and both wondered if she would snap on Gaara like she usually did to others when situations like this occurred. They were both surprised when she sighed and looked at Tsunade and Ino.

"Well I guess it can't be helped, I'll see everyone when we get back." Tsunade gave her a cocked eyebrow and a disbelieving look but then shrugged.

Ino's face was much more descriptive as she openly gawked at her friend's changed behavior. She had little time to snap out of her stupor as Tenten suddenly rushed over to the group hauling a slightly miffed looking Neji in her wake.

She slowed slightly to grab Sakura's arm, towing her off and away from Gaara calling to him about catching up with her. Ino and Tsunade turned to Gaara as soon as they left.

"What the hell was that about? I've never seen Sakura act calm like that when someone told her plans had been changed last minute. Not even towards Tsunade and I! That is like her biggest pet peeve." Ino's thoughts seemed to pour out of her mouth as she sipped at her drink with an obvious tinge of jealousy. Gaara's stoic poker face had returned as he shrugged.

"We finally found the miracle Sakura calmer! Used in most situations where Sakura would blow her top!" She laughed loudly and gave Gaara a rather harsh pat on the back before walking over to where a rather drunken Genma was leaning against a table.

Tsunade smiled at Gaara and whispered something to him in a serious tone as she passed him by. "A mellow approach to a change in plans is not at all like Sakura no matter whom it is that's telling her. Keep that in mind for the future." She smiled cordially to him and then continued on her way.

Gaara, taking her tone and foreboding words as a strange sort of warning, was perplexed and mildly concerned as to what the Hokage had said and how she had said it.

Deciding that it was a matter to concern himself with at a later time, Gaara moved to where his wife sat with a small group of friends. Sakura smiled at him as he sat and took his hand in hers under the table lacing her small fingers through his. To him this was a small sign of relief after the Hokage's odd warning.

"Gaara what time are we leaving tomorrow and when did you set this up?" Sakura's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Around nine in the morning. I sent her messages today but I had it planned from much earlier. I can move it later if you wish." He waited for her expression to change or for her to voice some complaint but she merely shrugged and looked at him with a calm expression.

"I don't mind Gaara really." She gave his hand a small squeeze to reassure him and then turned back to the group and resumed idle chatter with Tenten.

Tsunade's warning crept back into his mind as he wondered if she had been wrong. She had known Sakura for much longer than he had but maybe Sakura had changed in the past few months more than anyone realized. He himself had been altered, that much was clear, but maybe their marriage had altered a part of her temper.

Ino had pointed out at the bachelorette and bachelor after party that Sakura seemed much happier being with him. He was much happier himself and agreed that it was because of Sakura. He had never once been this happy in his entire life and he knew that he had only her to thank.

"Well I'm going to head home since we're leaving tomorrow. Tell Ino that it was a great party." Gaara snapped out of his thoughts once more at Sakura's goodbye. He had apparently missed most of the conversation at the table while pondering his own thoughts.

Tenten nodded and wished them well as Neji gave a stern sort of nod to them both. Shikamaru merely gave them the strangest melancholy filled smile.

"Goodnight Sakura, Gaara, sleep well."

"Goodnight Shikamaru, we'll see you in a few days." Sakura smiled at her friend and then turned to leave with her husband who gave Shikamaru a sideways look.

Naruto caught the two as they were leaving and gave both a large hug and a beaming smile before returning to where he had been challenging Kiba to a dance off.

Sakura and Gaara left quickly; grabbing her coat at the coat check in before Ino could notice they were gone. As they stepped outside their breath turned into small swirls of white mist into the chill night air.

It was a clear night and the stars shone down peacefully on Konoha. It was a sleepy town at night unlike the gambling towns Tsunade had frequented before she was Hokage. Sakura had been to towns like that where it never seemed to calm down and there were still lights and people up around two in the morning.

Konoha was different. Those up late at night were silent and were often those on patrol or shinobi that were returning from missions or recovering from them. Sakura liked Konoha at night. When she was younger, she used to sit on her windowsill and look out at the stars on nights like this.

Gaara watched her expression change to one of a peaceful relaxed girl to the grin he knew meant she had an idea.

"Gaara would you mind going somewhere before we go home?" She asked, looking up at him with a determined smile.

"Where did you have in mind?" Sakura smiled at him and took his hand in hers.

"You'll see." He looked at her with an expression of amusement and happiness that was a new development since he married Sakura.

He followed her through the streets of Konoha and across the bridge that marked the exit to the woods beyond the city. Sakura continued to training field three, or what she had dubbed as Team Seven's old training field, before walking further along the edge of the woods.

They continued along a path into the trees that she seemed to know very well. Finally, they came to a large open field that led up to a big hill with a large tree at the top. She walked up the hill to where the tree stood and looked at Gaara.

"I used to come here with my mom on nights like this in the summer. They bring academy students out here as well to play on days when it is nice and they can spare the extra people for protection." She ran her hand along the rough bark of the tree before speaking again.

"Mom and I used to count the fireflies out here until we couldn't anymore. I would catch them and show them to her and she would laugh and watch as I ran around. Then we would look at the stars. I loved doing that. She would tell me about my dad as well. We would laugh and talk about him for hours on end… It was one of the only times she ever talked about him, when we were out here and alone." Gaara watched her silently, sensing that this was her way of letting him into even more to her life.

"My mom said that my dad loved fireflies and would come here to watch them as well. She met my father in a meadow like this when she was returning home from a neighboring village. One night when we were watching the fireflies, she told me that my father had once asked her if she knew how they came to be. She said no and he told her a story about them that he had heard as a young child. She told me the story and I still remember it. I remember almost all of the stories she told me." Gaara looked at her and waited for her to speak again as she smiled at him. He walked over to her and they looked up at the sky for a while in silence. Soon Sakura shivered and Gaara looked down at her with concern.

"Are you cold?" He asked and she nodded.

"We'll come back when it's warmer; it's too cold for this now and there aren't any fireflies yet. I'll tell you the story as we walk back."

"That is fine." Gaara stated, now very intrigued. He did not hear many stories growing up and was very curious about stories she had heard. Especially if it was a story that was important to her.

"Well it's the story of how fireflies came to be. It's a children's story but it's still one of my favorites."

Gaara watched her take a deep breath and then smile before speaking.

"A long time ago, a woodsman and his wife lived on the edge of a beautiful forest beneath a mountain. Not a mountain like in Lightning, all jagged and sharp but, you know, a nice mountain…" She shook her head as she diverted slightly from the story. "Anyways, they had a cozy little house and a beautiful garden, but they weren't happy, because they both wanted a child but couldn't have any. One moonlit night, the wife slipped out of the house and laid herself down before the great mountain with its shining snowcap -this was in the winter, not the spring- she then begged for the Lady of the Moon to send her and her husband a child. As she prayed, a tiny light appeared high upon the mountain and began to drift down toward the woman. When the light reached the branches of the bamboo, it stopped. The woman was overjoyed when she found it was a Moonchild, sent by the Lady of the Moon herself as she had taken pity on the woman."

Sakura's voice stopped as they passed the guard who nodded to them both as they continued down the street. As soon as they were out of earshot, Sakura began to speak again.

"She took the child home to her husband and told him the story, he immediately loved the child as his own. So years went by and the Moonchild grew into a beautiful young woman, a Moon Princess, who was beloved by all who saw her. She had skin as white as snow and hair that shone like starlight." Sakura giggled a bit at this, looking up at Gaara and giving a sheepish smile.

"I guess the story had to make her seem like the moon, but that's not really part of the story. Ahem, so an emperor and his son ruled the kingdom where the Moon Princess lived with her parents. One day the Emperor's son's carriage broke while passing through the village where the Moon Princess lived. She came upon the carriage and the Emperor's son and immediately he was enthralled with her beauty." Sakura paused again, taking a breath before she continued.

"Well she convinced the Emperor's son to stay in the town as the carriage was fixed and he saw the Moon Princess nearly every day. On the day that he was to return to the palace, he asked for her hand in marriage. However, she refused, saying that her mother, the Lady of the Moon, had placed a spell on her that would return her home to the sky when she reached the age of eighteen. This never made sense to me but mom swore that eighteen was important."

"The Emperor's son couldn't bear to part with her so he stayed by her side until the night came for her to leave, the two were really in love by this point and it was heartbreaking for them both. The woodsman, his wife, and the Emperor's son were all there to say goodbye, and they wept as the time came for the Moon Princess to leave. The Lady of the Moon sent down a silver moonbeam for her daughter, and the Princess floated up to the heavens on it. As she floated, the Princess cried silver tears for those she was forced to leave behind. As they fell, they took wing and flew all over the land. The Moon Princess' tears can still be seen on moonlit nights. Some call them fireflies, but those who know the legend know that they are the Princess' tears, searching for those she loved on Earth and had to leave behind." Sakura sighed as she finished the story.

"My mother always told me that if you caught one it was like catching the moon in your hands. I would catch as many as I could and always kept count." Gaara looked at Sakura and met her eyes with a slight smile as they reached her door.

"That is a lovely story Sakura, thank you for telling it to me. Temari told me a few stories when I was little but they are very different than your stories I suppose. Ours are mostly about the desert and the sand. I'll tell them to you some time." She smiled as they walked inside.

"I'd like that Gaara." He took her coat and hung it on the peg near the door before walking down the hall with her to the bedroom. They had taken off their shoes and placed them back in the clothing scroll before pulling out their pajamas. Sakura walked into the bathroom to change as Gaara changed into his usual black pants and shirt that he always wore to bed. Sakura opened the door to the bathroom and walked over to the bed flopping down onto it with a sigh. Gaara looked at her and laid down next to her letting her crawl into his arms.

"Ino's parties tire you out?" He asked and she nodded while stifling a yawn.

"They always do. She goes over the top every time. At least this time I'm not the one dragging a drunk Ino back to her house at two in the morning. That was never fun." She sighed and laid her head against Gaara's shoulder. "It's so odd to think only a year ago I was only a friend of yours. I knew so little about you but now, it's hard for me to imagine not having you here." Gaara looked down at the pink haired form wrapped around him and agreed with her completely.

"I know." He sighed against her head and closed his eyes pulling the covers around them as Sakura closed her eyes and stayed with her head on his chest.

"Goodnight." She whispered.

"Goodnight." He replied as they both fell asleep in each other's arms like they had for months. He couldn't help but feel something on his heart seem to lift away. Like the weight was suddenly gone leaving him feeling better than he ever had.

 _"Thank you Sakura, for deciding that I was the one."_ He thought as he slipped into his dreams.

Sakura, in turn, found herself somewhere she hadn't been in a while. She looked around and saw she was in the cherry blossom clearing again.

 ** _"It's about time you showed up."_** _Inner stood with her arms crossed as he regarded Sakura with a smirk. It was warm and the trees were in bloom, the pink petals scattered everywhere like a pink carpet._

 _"Well I'm sorry I've been busy." Sakura rolled her eyes as Inner gracefully jumped up onto a nearby tree branch._

 ** _"Ohh I can't wait until the honeymoon! You know I think Gaara is bringing us to the beach. I mean how romantic is that? A beach honeymoon!"_** _Inner squealed and Sakura simply sighed and jumped up next to her before sitting._

 _"You know I don't care as long as I get a vacation. I got to see my friends again as well. I missed Shikamaru a lot and Naruto as well. I missed them all so much." Inner looked at her with a raised eyebrow._

 ** _"Yeah but you and I both know that Shikamaru is going to go to Suna soon anyways. It's obvious he was thinking about it. He was debating over it at the party and I think seeing how happy you are with Gaara convinced him."_** _Sakura looked at Inner and laughed._

 _"I sure hope he does! He's got it bad and we both know he needs someone to get him off of his lazy ass and making a long term commitment. Temari is the perfect choice. Besides, we could use him in Suna, even if it's only for a little while!"_

 _A long silence filled the clearing as the wind gently blew through the leaves and scattered pink petals to the ground. The clearing grew darker for a moment as a puffy white cloud passed over the sun._

 _As both Sakura and Inner turned to watch the cloud, the sunlight streamed back over the green grass and petals of the clearing. Inner looked at Sakura and sighed._

 _**"I'll talk to you later. You'd better go, you have better things to dream of. See you later."** She waved and Sakura saw the clearing fade into a flash of white. _

_She blinked and saw that she was now outside of her house in Suna. She walked up to the door of her house and opened it before looking inside. She didn't see anyone and it seemed very quiet._

 _"Hello? Gaara? Are you home?" She looked around the kitchen and living room but didn't see him. She was about to go upstairs when she heard high-pitched laughter from the back yard._

 _"Haha catch me if you can!" A childish voice was carried from the open door as Sakura walked outside, blinking in the sunlight. Immediately she noticed Gaara, chasing after someone that ran behind a tree. She saw a smaller figure dart out from behind the tree and run across the yard. Gaara chased after it._

 _Sakura was suddenly curious about the child. She didn't have long to wonder because Gaara stopped and looked over at her, smiling suddenly as the smaller figure ran out from behind the tree and straight towards her._

 _"Mommy you're home!" The child, which she could now see was a little boy, laughed as he ran towards her and Sakura noticed with amazing clarity that the boy had light red hair, much lighter than Gaara's, and pale green eyes. He ran to her and she took him in her arms immediately in an automatic sort of reaction._

 _"Sakura I'm glad you're home, we were waiting for you." Gaara waked over to her and kissed her head as the little boy hung onto her around her neck. The dream started to fade and she heard a voice calling her name._

"Sakura it's time to get up." She blinked and looked up at the figure above her with a bewildered expression. Gaara looked at her for a moment and then kissed her head softly.

"Huh? But wasn't I just in Suna? Where's the boy?" She sat up completely confused as she realized it really had been just a dream. Gaara watched his wife blush suddenly as she looked at him. "Oh I'm sorry it was just a dream." He watched her lay back on the pillow and suddenly remembered something she had said a long time ago.

"You seem to dream often. I remember once, on the mission before we were married, you had had a dream and told me you would one day tell me about it." Sakura looked at him and blushed again, remembering that particular dream with great clarity.

Intrigued at her response, Gaara found himself rather amused at her blushing expression. "Was it that interesting?"

"Not in that way!" Sakura gawked at him as he simply continued to watch her with a calm expression.

"I never meant to insinuate anything."

Sakura sighed at him and shook her head. "I'll tell you if you'd like." Gaara said nothing but his expression and lack of movement told her he was waiting for her to speak.

"I was in a field and it was spring. I was somewhere in Konoha sitting in a field with a cherry blossom tree behind me. You came up to me and said you were sorry you didn't meet me at the gates of Konoha so I guess we were visiting here for a while. Then you said you didn't want me getting hurt and Naruto and you decided that I couldn't go on any more missions for a while, I'm assuming Naruto was Hokage at this point, and that you knew it was for my own good. I wasn't happy with it at first but I conceded because I knew your reasoning was justified. Then we sat in the field for a while and simply enjoyed each other's company."

She completed her story with a glance in his direction and immediately noticed his stoic expression.

"Why would I not want you to go on missions? I would never take that away from you Sakura unless I had a very good reason." Sakura looked at him and then looked away.

"Oh Gaara you did have a good reason. But never mind that, we need to get going right?" He nodded and she smiled, sitting up to kiss him on the lips softly. "I'm going to go get changed then we can go." He stood as she grabbed her clothing scroll and walked into the bathroom to change. The whole exchange had baffled him and he only assumed that Sakura's strange dreams were beyond his capacity of understanding.

A while later the two stood at the door fed, clothed, and properly geared up. "Are you ready?" Gaara asked her.

Sakura nodded as they stepped out into the chilly air, wrapping their travel cloaks just a little bit tighter around them. Sakura placed her usual chakra seals on the house and then they were off.

Sakura enjoyed the walk through the sleepy village. Though it wasn't exactly early, it was still quiet and peaceful in Konoha with only a few people milling about. Shopkeepers going about their business setting up their shops stopped and watched them as they passed by. The early shop goers smiled at them as they walked past and a few even bowed.

Sakura smiled at Gaara as they walked down the main road, ignoring the almost silent whispers that were being passed between the few people meandering around the street.

They arrived at the gate early and were surprised to see not only Tsunade, but Shikamaru as well. "Shikamaru why are you here to see us off? You know we'll be coming back." He gave her a nod.

"I was already up and decided it couldn't hurt." He gave her a lazy stare as she smiled at him.

"Thanks Shikamaru." He nodded to her as Tsunade cleared her throat.

"Well you two have to get on the road." Tsunade's arms were crossed as she stared at the pair in front of her. Sakura gave her a smile and a nod.

"We'll be back soon Shishou. Take care of everyone while we're gone." Tsunade scoffed slightly.

"As if I ever _don't_ take care of them."

Sakura gave her an exasperated look and stood next to Gaara. The group stared at one another for a moment as Tsunade sighed and growled, "Oh just get going!"

The pair nodded and waved as they departed Konoha on Gaara's sand.

As soon as they were out of sight Shikamaru sighed. "I'm going to leave with them when they come back." Tsunade turned her gaze to him for a fraction of a second and then nodded, turning her gaze back to the road.

"We'll miss you here Shikamaru. Though I think it'll be good for Sakura to have someone else in Suna with her to remind her of home and for you to settle down. Unfortunately, losing Konoha's top upcoming strategist is something we'll have to discuss. I can't let them have all my best shinobi." Shikamaru watched as Tsunade turned and began walking away. She stopped a few feet from where they had been standing and looked back at him. "You coming? I'm going to grab a cup of sake at the pub, are you going to join me?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow but followed her anyways.

"Drinking this early in the morning?" Tsunade huffed.

"It's never too early to drink kid." She smiled a little and he shook his head but followed her nonetheless. Shizune would murder him if she showed up completely inebriated to the Hokage office.

End of Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sakura was enjoying the ride, hanging on to Gaara as they moved swiftly on the sand though the warm forests of Konoha. After a few hours the trees began to thin and the air became considerably warmer.

Gaara, after slowing their travel considerably, reached over his shoulder and covered Sakura's eyes with his hand.

"What is this for?" Sakura questioned, not liking the feeling of having her senses dulled during travel.

"It is a surprise. It's just up ahead." Deciding that there was no need to be nervous, she gave in and leaned on his back as he held his hand over her eyes.

They started to descend and Sakura couldn't help but wonder what could possibly be in the middle of nowhere. After a while, Sakura smelled salt water and knew they were close to the southern part of Fire Country near the ocean. It was very warm and humid here and the ocean was a popular spot for tourists.

"The ocean?"

"Technically yes but that's not the surprise." Gaara took his hands off her eyes slowly, watching with increased interest as she blinked in the sudden brightness.

When her vision started to clear, she was left breathless. Before her lay a large cove full of white sand and crystal clear water that rolled to the shore in lazy waves. She looked to her left and saw a pathway and, hidden in the trees, a large house built to look like a traditional resort house. The cove had high rocks stretched like protective arms around the small inlet and a small boat tethered to a sun bleached dock further down the beach.

"Do you like it?" Gaara questioned, after a while of Sakura's stunned silence.

"Gaara I…I don't even know what to say! It's, well it's gorgeous to say the very least!" Her hands gestured to everything as she leaned back into his embrace. His mouth turned up into a satisfied smile.

"I'm glad you like it. It is the Hokage's. She inherited it from her father apparently." Sakura looked at him and then back to the cove in disbelief.

"I'll never be able to thank her enough. This is absolutely breathtaking." Gaara slipped his hand into hers and maneuvered her out of his arms to tug her along down the path.

"You should see the house. I'm looking forward to seeing it myself." Sakura followed him happily towards the house nestled in the surrounding greenery.

The pathway itself was sandy and shady, dappled in light that danced off the pair as they walked up to the sanded wood porch.

Sakura and Gaara took off their shoes and set them near the door before sliding the doors open and stepping into the large house. The entryway opened to a large hallway decorated tastefully with a coat rack and a low table with potted plants and a small frog figurine Sakura had sworn she had seen before.

The hallway opened into a large living room decorated with white couches, a lounge chair, a television and a low coffee table. Behind it laid the kitchen, a well-lit room with polished wooden countertops, a bar counter and stools, and a large fridge and pantry. The oven and sink looked relatively new compared to the rest of the house.

There was a door further down the hallway leading off to the left of the kitchen that led into a shoji room padded with tatami mats that reminded Sakura of Shikamaru's family home.

The hallway that had led to the shoji room turned a sharp right and led to a huge staircase. Sakura climbed the stairs quickly, with Gaara close behind. There was a huge balcony directly in front of the staircase and an impressive master bedroom with a walk-in closet and a bathroom with a tub in it bigger than the one they had in Suna. The master bedroom had a wall of windows that led to part of the balcony and overlooked the picturesque cove.

The house contained more upstairs rooms but Sakura assumed these were guest rooms and nothing more.

"Shishou has kept this place a secret for a reason. All of Konoha would be scrambling to stay here if it was available to them." Sakura surveyed the room appreciatively before flopping onto the large canopy covered bed with a grateful sigh.

She set her packs down on the floor beside her and Gaara laid his gourd next to the dresser along with his packs. They could unpack later.

He walked over to where Sakura was currently smiling in contentment with her arms stretched out across the bed. He sat beside her and leaned over to stare down at her with a studious face.

She cracked open her eyes and smiled. He watched as she sighed happily for what seemed like the millionth time since they had arrived. "Thank you for arranging this Gaara."

"It was really Tsunade-sama but you are welcome." He stared down at his wife as her eyes traveled from his turquoise ones to his lips and back. With a mischievous smile she pulled his face down to hers and kissed him languidly and softly. When her legs moved to wrap around his hips and pull him in closer, he drew back from her encouraging kisses and stared down at her with a serious expression. "Don't you want to go swimming and explore a little in the cove? You deserve to enjoy this Sakura we both work much too hard."

He kissed her neck and then drew back making her roll her eyes. "I am enjoying this." She murmured as he practiced self-control by pulling back a little further.

"We should go to the beach now, while the weather is so nice, we have time later." He murmured looking down at his wife who was giving him a reproving glance at his seemingly impatient manner.

"Oh you just want to see my bathing suit." She quipped. His expression was unreadable as he pulled away from her and leaned back on the bed.

"I want to enjoy the nice weather. I don't care about seeing your bathing suit. However, seeing you in it is a different matter entirely." She rolled her eyes at his newfound cheekiness and mentally told herself to scold Kankuro for encouraging this when she returned to Suna.

She sat up in the bed and lightly pushed him aside as she stood to go looking for her bathing suit. She pulled out her clothing scroll from her pack and released the seal, opening the suitcase that appeared before her and digging through it frustrated when she didn't find her standard one-piece red bathing suit.

"I can't find my bathing suit! I packed it, I'm sure I did! Gaara have you…" She turned and squeaked in surprise when she saw the red bikini that Ino had bought for her the summer previous dangling from his fingers. He himself appeared to have a rather disbelieving expression etched across his features.

"Where did you get that?!" She squeaked out, her voice finally returned to her.

"It was in my pack. I don't remember packing this there. Are you sure this is your swimsuit?" Her face turned a tinge of pink as she surged forwards and snatched the swimsuit away from his inquisitive and confused gaze.

"I knew Ino was a bad influence." She shook her head and stalked off to the bathroom to change; leaving a very interested Kazekage in her wake.

Deciding he would simply have to wait to have his questions answered, he put on his own swimsuit, which consisted of black swim trunks with red stripes on the sides.

Sakura came out of the bathroom a few minutes later with a blue and white cover-up over her swimsuit. Gaara looked at her quizzically, wondering why she was wearing the dress-like object but didn't say anything. He was unaware of the types clothing women wore while at the beach having only ever been to it on a few occasions before.

Sakura was once again taken off guard as she looked at him. She never could get over the way he was so open to her and how informal and attractive he could appear when not in his standard attire.

He gestured towards the door as Sakura scurried ahead of him, grabbing her towel as she left the room. They pair walked rather silently down the sandy path and onto the white sand beach. After Sakura had scouted out a suitable spot, they laid down the towels they had brought with them on the white sand.

The water before them was unbelievably clear and the soft woosh of the waves upon the shore was unbelievably serene. Sakura felt relaxed just listening to it all. After a moment of silent appreciation, she moved towards the water, tentatively dipping her feet into the waves before gleefully wiggling her toes.

"You should come feel this water, the temperature is perfect!" She sighed contentedly and walked out further into the water. She stopped when the waves came to lap around her knees in gentle caresses. She stood there for a moment simply taking in the cove before turning to see Gaara still standing on the shore, watching her with a small smile on his lips. "Come on Gaara!" She called out, waving him over with a smile on her face that Gaara hadn't seen in a long time.

He walked into the water and slowly made his way out to where she stood. The sand felt good under his feet and the water felt completely different on his skin now that his sand armor, which would have become severely waterlogged if he had left it on, was no longer coating his skin.

Sure he had been to the ocean as a Chunin on missions, but this was different. This was something special. As he glanced over at the woman next to him he knew that she was the reason that everything in his life seemed to feel different, seemed to feel new.

They stood silently for a moment as Sakura bent down and reached her hand through the warm water, reaching down to pick up a smooth pink shell. She turned it over in her hands and studied it, then handed it to Gaara who had been watching her admire the small shell. He took it from her and ran his thumb over the surface of it, marveling at the incredibly soft and smooth texture of the small thing. He glanced back at Sakura, who had lost interest in that shell and was currently wading around in the water looking for more, and smiled when he held the shell up to her hair and noticed that it was the exact same shade of pink.

Gaara quietly slipped the shell from his hand and encased it in some sand from the shore, sending it back to rest safely on his towel. He wasn't the sentimental type, but he knew that eventually, later in life, the shell would bring a welcome memory of this day for both of them.

Gaara watched Sakura straighten and run her hands through her hair and then glanced at her attire. "Sakura." She turned her head towards him.

"Yes?" Her green eyes stared back at him.

"Do you want to go swimming?" Sakura looked out at the cove and then back to him knowing that swimming meant removing the cover up she was wearing.

Sakura wasn't overtly modest like Hinata, but she was also not in the habit of flaunting anything like Ino. She knew Ino had been the one to slip the red bikini into Gaara's pack.

What bothered her was not the two-piece nature of the bathing suit, she had never been _that_ modest, it was the fact that the string bikini had only been worn twice by her. Once on a holiday with the girls and then once when they had gone sunbathing in Konoha. The second incident was what prompted Sakura to return to her usual sports bra and shorts while swimming or sunbathing or anything of that nature. Boys in Konoha apparently enjoy tugging on strings and being punted halfway across the village.

Now she stood in front of Gaara, a man that was not only her husband, but who also was obviously not very experienced when it came to seeing women in bathing suits. After all, he was from Suna, where going out in a bathing suit only ever led to a bad case of wind, sand, and sunburn and would be the mark of true and utter insanity and stupidity. With a sudden burst of annoyance at her modesty (he had seen her naked more than once so why was she being so stupid?) she decided that she had absolutely nothing to be modest about and that the flimsy string bikini wouldn't let her down again.

He said nothing as he watched her move quickly towards the shore. Once there she tossed the cover up off herself in one swift motion, throwing it onto her towel.

The first thing Gaara noticed as she moved back into the water was her legs. He had seen them before but here in the daylight and with the water reflecting onto her, the toned muscles and smooth expanses of skin looked even more radiant. Her stomach was toned and smooth with the right amount of curve that accentuated her hips. Her slender but muscular arms led to creamy shoulders and supple skin encased in the offsetting red color of the bikini. With her pink hair, pale skin and striking green eyes against the red of the swimsuit, she looked ethereal.

Sakura noticed his gaze but said nothing. She had nearly stopped moving when she had noticed the appreciative and direct stare he was giving her. It was not a look she would ever get used to.

"The bathing suit suits you." Gaara stated as she moved back to his side. Her eyes flickered to his face as a small blush graced her cheeks.

"It's not my usual one, but it is nice." He nodded but said nothing more as Sakura moved further into the water until the point that she could no longer touch. She floated among the waves for a while before she noticed Gaara floating alongside her. She was momentarily surprised, she had forgotten to ask him exactly when he had gotten over his aversion to water.

The two talked very little, simply enjoying the sounds of the waves and the warmth of the sun on their skin. Eventually Sakura noticed what appeared to be a cave along the other side of the cove.

"Gaara, I think there's a cave over there, do you think we could go check it out? I've heard sea caves are extraordinary." Gaara turned his gaze to where she was pointing and swam up behind her.

"I don't see why we couldn't." Sakura smiled and motioned for him to follow as she swam steadily across the cove with Gaara trailing closely behind.

He silently thanked Baki for forcing him to learn how to swim after a flash flood had nearly drowned their team in Lightning Country.

Sakura reached the entrance to the cave first with Gaara just barely behind her. The cave was small and was a rather large dome with a pool that led out to the cove. Inside the rocks the soft sounds of the waves were muted and the sun shone in only through the small entrance and the water itself.

Sakura pulled herself up onto the rocks around the pool and looked around the cavern with an appreciative smile. The light from the water danced along the walls in a myriad of patterns and swirls. The effect led to the feeling that the cave itself was alive.

"You were right about sea caves." Gaara murmured as he sat alongside his wife to gaze at the walls. She simply hummed in agreement and leaned into his side, causing him to tense slightly at the sudden contact of bare skin.

Their feet were dangling into the warm water of the pool and they watched the shimmers on the walls as the silent lapping of the waves on the rocks set a calm mood. Nothing disturbed the stillness and the two sat for what seemed like hours until Sakura grew cold and once again slipped into the water.

They left the cave and went back into the cove, swimming for a while before eating lunch on the beach that they brought from the house. After lunch, they laid on the beach for a while and talked about trivial matters dealing primarily with Suna before going back to the house. Sakura excused herself to take a shower while Gaara set up plans for a surprise for her later that night.

When Sakura came back downstairs in a plain summer dress, he was nowhere to be found. Glancing around the kitchen led her to the table where a single note rested written in Gaara's script.

 _Sakura,_

 _I went to go deal with something Tsunade asked me to take care of. I'm sure you will be done with your shower before I return. Make yourself comfortable, I will be back in a few minutes._

 _-Gaara_

Satisfied with his note, Sakura decided sitting on the balcony would be a great idea to pass the time.

The balcony was large with two padded chairs facing the cove along with a loveseat and a small coffee table. Sakura sat in one of the chairs, letting the breeze blow through her soft pink hair as she opened a book she had brought with her and began to read.

She didn't hear Gaara's voice from downstairs nor did she notice when he walked up the stairs and leaned against the doorframe to the balcony and watched her read her book. (Later she would wonder if her skills were slipping when he snuck up on her for the second time.) He stood there for a while until she sighed and stretched, having finally noticed his presence behind her.

Green eyes met studious turquoise and Sakura's lips stretched into a pleased smile.

"Did you check on what Shishou wanted you to check on?"

Gaara nodded and stepped out onto the balcony. He gazed at the view as Sakura regarded him with a quiet reverence. The way he stood suggested that he was, for the first time in a very long while, actually relaxed. His shoulders weren't drawn up tight against his frame and his back and neck weren't uncomfortably straight like they normally were. She watched as he leaned against the railing, his red hair shifting in the wind.

Sakura stood from the chair the moment after he leaned against the railing, and moving to stand beside him and to gaze out at the beautiful cove. "We could go down to the cove and take a ride on the boat." She glanced at him for a moment, struck by the way his features stood out against the blue of the cove. Gaara didn't reply as Sakura slipped a small hand into the crook of his arm. "Or we could just stay here for a while." He turned and faced her at her touch with a calm gaze.

"We could do that." Sakura smiled and tugged his arm gently, guiding them to the loveseat where she quickly curled up into his side.

The pair was quiet for a long time, listening to the sounds around them and enjoying the calmness in the air.

It was late in the afternoon and the sun was starting to sink lower and lower every minute as the sky started to turn a lovely shade of pink. Sakura shifted and Gaara looked down at her.

"Are you hungry?" He questioned, breaking the silence. Sakura sighed, nodded, and finally stood. She was loathe to leave the peaceful setting but she hadn't eaten since lunch and she was getting hungry.

Gaara led her downstairs to the dining room where a table had been set and there were candles lighting the room that had been already been darkened.

Sakura's green eyes widened as she whirled around to face her husband. "How did you…"

"I had someone help me. Tsunade-sama has some hired staff that live nearby."

Sakura smiled at him with a look that told him no one had done such a thing for her before. "Thank you Gaara." She whispered, as if speaking too loudly would ruin the moment. Gaara silently reminded himself to thank Temari for the suggestion as the look on Sakura's face made him extremely happy that he had followed through with the gesture.

They went and sat down at the table as Gaara served her. The meal consisted of salad, fish, chicken, rice, soup, sushi, and a cake for dessert and was more than Sakura had expected.

Sakura was wide eyed throughout the meal and smiled at Gaara often, talking about little things while he quietly listened. When they finished Sakura stood to start to clear the dishes but Gaara stopped her by taking her hand and coaxing her away from the table.

"Don't worry about them." She blinked at him but followed him out of the room, a pleased, if somewhat surprised look still present on her face.

Gaara led her to the living room with the intent to simply sit and talk with her. In her mind she was already formulating a way to surprise him as much as he had surprised her. Before he could have her sit on the couch beside him, she stopped, tugging on his hand and gaining his immediate attention.

"Is something wrong?" His eyes searched hers as she shook her head.

"I'm just going to go change into something more comfortable." He gave her a quizzical look but soon nodded, sitting on the couch by himself before looking to her. "I'll be right back." He watched as she left the room swiftly, headed for the stairs as her mind reeled with what to do next.

 ** _"Seriously? The black corset, put it on!"_** Sakura nearly slapped herself for her stupidity as Inner reminded her of the lingerie from the mission. _That_ would definitely surprise him.

With a gathered confidence, she walked over to her bag and opened it, reaching to the very bottom before pulling out the corset and the black lace panties. Without stopping to over think anything, she went into the bathroom and took off her clothing.

Feeling as nervous as she had when she had first tried it on, she pulled, tied, and slipped everything into place until she decided that it wasn't exactly uncomfortable and she didn't mind it other than knowing its intent was to be taken off.

Sakura's eyebrows shot up into her hairline the moment she saw the unfamiliar figure looking back at her in the bathroom mirror. " _Well there is something to be said for lingerie after all!"_ She felt her face heating up as the reality of what she was intending on doing slipped into her mind. Swiftly, she turned and grabbed a bath robe, wrapping it around herself before walking back down the stairs.

She entered the living room where Gaara sat waiting for her. He gave her a strange look as she nearly bolted to the couch but said nothing concerning her apparel.

Sakura, feeling as jittery as ever, slipped onto the couch in what she hoped was a dignified motion, and settled into her place beside him.

The corset restricted some of her breathing but she was determined to ignore this as the more urgent matter of what to do now that she was downstairs confronted her head on.

Gaara seemed oblivious to Sakura's plight and instead asked if she enjoyed the cove. Desperate for a distraction she started talking about the water and how much she enjoyed it. She was barely paying attention to what she babbled on about, her mind too focused on what to do.

What _was_ she supposed to do, whip off her robe and give him a heart attack? Sakura's eyes strayed as she finished the tangent she was on about sand of all things. Gaara, having listened to her somewhat distracted sounding answer, began to notice her fidgeting beside him.

He looked over at her, about to ask her something and maybe question if she was alright when something much more interesting stopped the words from coming out.

The tie on Sakura's robe was loose and, thanks to his slightly taller stature, Gaara was granted a view of black fabric. Fabric that his stunned mind could see was hugging Sakura's figure very nicely. Fabric, that was lined in lace.

Gaara's mind began to race as he realized that Sakura had not put on the pajamas he knew were in her bag and that her fidgeting was most likely because of whatever she was, or wasn't, wearing under the robe.

With the sudden realization that Sakura was much more interesting than anything else, Gaara reacted to her by slipping an arm around Sakura's waist, causing her to stiffen and turn to face him with wide green eyes.

"Do you still want to talk?" He pulled her closer to his side as his turquoise eyes darkened.

"Why would you think I wouldn't want to?" She glanced up at him and saw in his eyes that he had noticed her apparel, if only minutely. Her cheeks turned a shade of pink as his hand reached up and tugged on her robe slightly. That answered the dilemma of how to surprise him.

"I think you are much more interesting." With a movement that caught Sakura off guard, Gaara had picked her up into his arms and was swiftly moving towards the stairs.

Gaara set Sakura down at the foot of the bed and immediately his eyes were on her.

She was breathing quickly and her face tinged pink as her eyes had darkened to a deep emerald. His hands moved to her waist and undid the knot before pushing the robe off her shoulders and onto the floor. His eyes roamed back to the figure of his wife relishing everything that he saw there. Immediately Sakura decided that this was a good decision.

Sakura's svelte figure was hugged in all the best ways by the black corset she wore. With a decisive growl he moved towards her figure, letting his hands rest on her waist as he pushed her down onto the bed and began to kiss her delightfully smooth neck.

He was undoing the ribbon now and Sakura, who had decided that she was not going to be a bystander in this ordeal, was working on pulling his shirt over his head.

She succeeded in her quest and threw it off the bed before leaning forwards to nip at his jaw line. As soon as she had begun to kiss and nip his jaw line, he let out a pleased predatory rumble and began to kiss her neck with renewed fervor.

He had gotten the ribbon undone and had unlaced the corset while she had been busy trying to distract him. With a sudden movement he pulled off the corset, throwing it across the room to join his shirt before moving down to kiss her breasts.

Sakura gasped when he gently took one bud in his mouth while rolling the other between his fingers. He kissed her chest again before moving to the other bud giving them equal treatment.

Sakura was trying in vain to tug at his pants as he teased her, eliciting soft noises that were driving the redhead to distraction.

She let out a soft groan when he nipped at her neck and then hummed at her reaction and tugged his pants off himself. "Was this your way of thanking me?" His voice had become much deeper as he began to assault her body with hot kisses that had Sakura writhing on the sheets and moaning and hissing intermittently as he alternated between nipping and kissing her skin.

They were both now only in underwear and Sakura, now thoroughly through with waiting, was trying her best to get rid of that bit of clothing as well. He grabbed her hands as they began to snake their way to the top of his boxers. "Patience."

He breathed softly against her shoulder, making her shudder as his hard chest pressed down against her own. His hands ghosted down her sides to her hips stroking them in soft but incessant circles as his head moved to place kisses down her neck and between her breasts to circle the spot around her belly button.

He paused for a moment as he found the pale scar that lay just above her belly button. It was a constant reminder that she had been hurt and had almost lost her life for him. He kissed it gently and softly, anger welling inside of him at his helplessness in the ordeal. Nobody would know it was there unless they were looking for it specifically, the medics had done an excellent job, but not as well as Sakura could have done herself. When Sakura healed someone there were almost never scars.

He traced it lightly with his tongue and moved to swirl it around her belly button making her shiver again and lightly claw at his back. He hummed with approval at her slight moan as he moved back up to her breasts and circled each one with his tongue.

She was stifling her small moans and he knew it, having heard her before. His fingers moved to her panties as he ghosted a finger across them and made her shiver again as he leaned down to kiss her heatedly.

The bed sheets were already bunching up around her as she opened her legs for him and tangled her hands in his hair. She moaned slightly into his mouth and pushed against him, not satisfied with the light touches he was giving her as his fingers dragged across her with lazy strokes.

Sakura knew she sounded wanton and knew that it seemed impatient but when one of his fingers slipped inside of her she couldn't help but moan and move into his touch.

Gaara was enjoying every little sound she was making and he too was becoming impatient.

Her lithe body kept pushing against his own and her movements told him that she wanted to expedite the process.

His very being wanted to dominate, claim her as his own, and make her moan and bend in all sorts of delicious ways and it wanted it to be fast and rough. Yet now, something inside of him wanted to hold off, something he was not at all used to.

He wanted to tease her, wanted to hear her moans and feel her impatience. He wanted to taste her.

Sakura was still writhing beneath him as he enticed delicious moans from her, one hand teasing her while one arm keeping her from arching into his touch. He was driving her wild. She wanted more she needed it or she thought she would burst.

Just as she was about to voice this opinion Gaara removed his hands and placed them on her hips. She raised her head to look at him with an expectant gaze, only to find that his eyes, now impossibly dark with lust, were locked onto hers in a decisively devious gaze.

He was lowering his head to her stomach and was moving backwards slightly, causing her to wonder what it was he was doing. With a single movement the panties were gone.

"Gaara what are you…" Her voice trailed off as her head hit the bed behind her.

She gasped and gripped the sheets as his tongue began to move between her folds. She was hot all over, a gathering pressure that had been building in her flaring up once more.

As he moved against her all she could do was gasp and moan in ways she had never heard coming from her mouth. He worked her into frenzy, her gasps and moans becoming louder and more insistent as he relished every taste of her.

Soon the fire in her reached its white hot peak and she cried out as she felt the world shatter around her.

Gaara lifted his head as Sakura lay shaking on the blankets, her green eyes hazy as she met the gaze of her husband. His predator gaze had not dulled in the slightest and Sakura immediately wanted more.

"Gaara…" She practically purred his name, tugging on his boxers once again. He moved up to her side and leaned down to her ear, nibbling it before growling into it softly.

"Then tell me what you want." His voice was deep and husky and sent shivers up her spine. She could feel him pressed against her and tugged on his boxers again.

"You."

He pulled back to look at her. Her pink hair was strewn about the pillows behind her and her skin was soft and pale in the dim light. She was delectable, she was gorgeous, and she was all his. With a swift movement the boxers were gone and he had entered her with a groan.

He started moving slowly but was urged to go faster by her persistent noises and light clawing at his back. One thrust made her gasp out and clutch his shoulders with a tense fervor.

"There!" She gasped and he complied moving quickly once again and making her moan and mewl loudly as they both picked up rhythm. Their bodies gleamed with sweat and their breathing was loud and ragged as they panted in the moonlight.

Gaara was close as was Sakura. Their speed peaked and Sakura cried out again as the heat surrounding her consumed her entirely.

He growled at her cry and pushed into her even harder until he too found himself spiraling down into a blissful abyss.

Sakura felt herself coming down from her high as Gaara fell to her side, his hands still holding her possessively. She rolled into his side, sighing and running her fingers across his pale skin as he hummed and stroked her side.

There weren't any murmured declarations of love or kindness but simply two people holding one another as if to shelter the other from the world.

End of Chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Morning came slowly waking Sakura from her restful night. With a happy mumble she shifted and opened her eyes to find herself lying completely content next to Gaara.

He was awake and watching her with a calm expression present on his features. She hummed her approval and lazily curled up into his side, not quite ready to get up and face the day.

Gaara moved the pink strands of hair that had fallen into her face with his hand while his other hand traced random patterns into the soft skin of her back. She smiled and moved into his touch, enjoying his gentle caresses.

The slight breeze blowing in through the open window was warm and enticing her into the bright morning and eventually Sakura re-opened her green eyes and looked up lazily at her husband. "G'morning." She murmured, stretching a little.

"Good morning."

"What are you doing up so early, couldn't you sleep?" She sighed, deciding that, yes, it was much too early to be doing anything and she was much too comfortable where she was. In Konoha and even Suna she was almost always awake before 8 but here, here her internal clock was turned off. A tiny quirk of his mouth told her that he was amused at her assessment of the time of day.

"It isn't early. I slept very well but I wanted to get a start on plans for the day." Sakura laughed at this and groaned lightly.

"A bit early for plans Gaara. Let's take a bath and get some breakfast before we start talking about that. I'm still half asleep." She murmured snuggling into his arm.

Without a word, Gaara slipped his arms under Sakura, causing her to lift her head in slight wonderment as he scooped her into his arms, carried her to the bathroom, and depositing her in the warm water of the bath he had gotten up and drawn before she had woken up.

She spluttered as water splashed into her face and looked at him with a shocked expression. "Oh that does it!" She reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him into the tub with her before he could protest.

Gaara gave her a surprised look that softened the moment he saw her delighted smile.

They were like two kids at play sometimes but neither minded. Gaara had never really played as a child and Sakura had grown out of it quickly after the Academy. They both grew up too fast and were, in a way, making up for it.

Once their bath was finished and they were dressed (much to Gaara's disappointment) the duo walked down to the kitchen to make breakfast. Sakura's stomach was growling loud enough for Gaara to hear. This caused her to sigh and Gaara to give her a rather pointed look.

"Hungry? We used up quite a bit of energy." She gaped at him for a moment and opened the fridge to shield her face from her husband. Really, when did he learn this sense of humor?

The fridge was completely full and Sakura had a hard time picking what to make. She decided to get out a carton of eggs and some jam to make eggs and toast. It wasn't very interesting but it was what her growling stomach seemed to want.

Sakura got out the skillet and started on the eggs as she directed Gaara to pop some toast into the toaster and find the butter.

She leaned against the counter as she scrambled the eggs, watching Gaara out of the corner of her eye. He was wearing a black shirt that showed off his arms and a pair of bathing shorts that made him look more relaxed than she had ever seen him.

Her smile widened as she reached behind her and grabbed the camera she had left sitting on the counter behind her.

She snapped the picture right as he turned to look at her. She laughed as he stared at her in slight confusion.

"I never took you to be the honeymoon picture type." He mused. She grinned and put the camera down, leaning over to scoop the finished eggs on the plates.

"I just couldn't resist." He rolled his eyes and turned back to the toast where he finished his job of buttering.

They each finished cooking and placed the food on two plates before sitting on the barstools at the island to enjoy their breakfast.

An hour later and the pair had meandered onto the beach, walking along its sandy expanse without any sort of hurry.

"What would you like to do today?" Gaara questioned after the two had passed the small pier. She smiled and pointed towards the cliffs.

"Diving, shoji, and maybe a movie."

This seemed to meet Gaara's approval as he nodded to her slightly.

"Are you up for diving first?" Sakura brushed a stray lock of hair from her face as Gaara nodded once more. He took her hand and led her through the path that seemed to lead to the cliffs above. Eventually the two stood at the edge of the cliffs, both in their bathing suits that they had put on under their clothes.

"So do you want to go first or shall I, or should we jump together?" Sakura questioned. The cliffs they were standing on were not that high above the water and the water below was not churning harshly. It was safe considering they would be jumping off it soon.

"Together."

"I hoped you'd say that." She smiled and they took a running leap off the edge of the cliff. Gaara thought that short fall felt like eternity as he looked over at Sakura seeing her face full of mirth as she gripped his hand and closed her eyes before they hit the water.

The sudden chill and rush of the water around their bodies made them let go of each other's hands and surface a few feet away from one another.

Sakura swam to Gaara and wrapped her arms around his neck as they both lightly treaded water while letting the waves carry them.

The two stayed like this for a while enjoying the peaceful moment that was so much different from their everyday, stressful life.

Being a shinobi was a lifestyle and it was never an easy one. The constant potential threats that they faced on a daily basis made it difficult for them to relax. Mix that in with the affairs of an entire village and you get a recipe for danger and stress. It was nice to take a break from it every once and a while. But, since being part of the village forces was a lifestyle, being away from it for two long made it difficult to abandon and impossible to ignore.

Neither one was thinking of that as Sakura laughed and dove underwater with Gaara following behind her. The myriad of colors beneath them was proof that the water was teeming with life. The brightly colored fish tickled Sakura's toes and made her laugh as she swam. Gaara was smiling honestly for, what must have been, the longest time in his life. A small look from Sakura made him even happier as they swam back to shore where their towels sat on the beach. Sakura yawned and lay on the towel as Gaara picked up the camera he had brought down to the beach. He snapped a photo of her causing her to immediately look over at him with a teasing glance.

"Oh so it's a war now is it?" She grinned and grabbed the camera from him before taking off down the beach. He stood and followed as she spun around taking random pictures of him as she ran. He easily caught up to her and took the camera from her hands. Sakura heard the camera snap another photo as she whirled around and snatched it back from Gaara's hands.

She took off into the trees and eventually turned to look for Gaara when she no longer felt his chakra signature.

She nearly screamed when a pair of arms encircled her waist and pulled her against a hard chest.

"Did I startle you?" He asked as she snorted and rolled her eyes. He took the camera and let her go taking a picture as she laughed and spun around in a circle.

"That camera's going to be full of photos isn't it?" He merely shrugged as Sakura shook her head at his antics.

She was, in all actuality, amazed. This was not the man she had known Gaara to be. This was a side of Gaara she doubted anyone had ever seen, a side that she doubted he had even known about until now. The man in front of her seemed to have shifted the immeasurable weight of his life off of his shoulders and let himself be free of cares, if only for a short amount of time.

After a few hours of laying on the sand and walking around the beach or swimming, Sakura and Gaara decided to head indoors to play some shoji and relax. Sakura had complained of feeling a little tired, to which Gaara had replied that she had slept well the night before, and they decided to get out of the sun and into the cool of the house. After a quick change of clothes, they settled down onto the cushions in the shoji room. The game was played slowly and lazily with minimal talking between the two but a happy atmosphere nonetheless. Sakura was doing a lot of teaching as Gaara had only learned a little bit of the game before. After an hour of this they moved to the living room where Sakura read a book while Gaara looked over scrolls pertaining to something in Suna. Sakura teased that he shouldn't be working while he replied that she was doing the same by reading medical journals. She stopped teasing him after that.

The next few days seemed to fly by with lazy games of shoji, pictures being taken, heated nights, and lots of swimming and exploring in the cove. Soon it came time to leave and Sakura was somewhat ok with leaving.

She loved the little paradise but was eager to get back to Konoha to see her friends. She had just finished packing her scrolls into her hip pouch and pack as a breeze blew through the room making her shiver as her arms prickled with goose bumps. It felt like it was going to rain.

"It had better not rain. That would not be a good way to go home." Sakura grumbled to herself. She walked quietly to the balcony before stepping outside. The wind whipped her pink hair away from her face as she looked out over the cove.

Gaara, who had just walked into the room, joined her on the balcony and noticed the slight crease in between her eyes as she looked out at the grey sky.

"It looks like rain doesn't it?" She stated and he nodded as her emerald eyes turned to him. "We should get going before it decides to start pouring on us." He nodded and picked up his gourd placing it on his back as he wrapped his arm around her waist. The house was already locked up and they had finished their packing, they could simply leave from the balcony.

Sakura sighed as she felt herself lifted up in the air by Gaara's sand. They traveled in silence for a while as the wind blew coldly around them creating a bit of resistance as they traveled through the air.

The sky began to darken and Sakura's skin bristled with static electricity. Rain was coming and she knew they were most likely not going to be able to outrun it.

"Was that thunder?" Sakura asked cautiously as she thought she heard a deep rumbling noise coming from behind them. Gaara looked at her and shook his head, though he had heard it as well.

"We'll get back in time and if it does start to rain we can always run back." She nodded and continued to stand next to him on the sand as it moved swiftly through the air. As they traveled she was constantly reminded that they were lucky to have the privilege to have Gaara's sand available to them. It made traveling across long distances much faster and less tiring.

The journey seemed rushed as they stopped only for a short break as they tried their best to outrun the impending storm. Neither wanted to be caught in the rain. They had been through much worse but it was still a pain to be stuck in. So with a hurried pace they continued on riding Gaara's sand. They were still a few hours from Konoha when Sakura felt the first raindrop hit her face.

"Is it raining?" Gaara looked up as he too felt a raindrop hit his nose.

"It is just starting to. Do you want to stop and put on your cloak? It will keep you dry." Sakura nodded and he brought them down to the branch of one of the trees in the forest they were traveling over.

Sakura dug in her pack for the scroll containing her cloak as well as Gaara's. She took them both out and put hers on just as the rain started coming down in earnest.

"I guess we're running from here then."

"We're only a few hours out from Konoha." Sakura took the first push off the tree and into the next one as Gaara quickly flanked her.

Sakura liked running in the trees almost better than riding the sand because she could slip into her own thoughts as she ran. She liked feeling the slight sting of the rain on her cheeks as the forest passed her in a blur; it always reminded her of the strength and control she had obtained through years of practice.

Gaara watched her face as she ran and noticed her furrowed brow as she almost slipped on a branch. His senses heightened as he saw this, moving closer to her in case she should fall.

 _"Damn this rain! I hate running in it, the branches get slippery!"_ She cursed in her head as she felt her foot slip a little on a branch. Moving a slight amount of chakra into her feet, Sakura noted that Gaara's presence had moved closer to her side.

The two pushed on just as lightning lit up the darkened forest. A peal of thunder crashed above them as Sakura shot Gaara a worried glance. Lightning in the forest could be dangerous as branches could be struck and lose their stability. Trees were essentially giant lightning rods if struck.

The rain began to intensify as Sakura cursed the weather with a flourish of angry threats. The pair were now drenched despite their cloaks, as the water and wind blew their hoods back and plastered their soaked hair to their faces.

"We're coming up on the first outpost!" Sakura shouted to Gaara as another bolt of lightning hit a tree only a few hundred paces away. Gaara replied with a nod as Sakura pushed ahead of him. As she leaped onto another branch, a loud cracking sound filled the air as Sakura felt her support give way beneath her. With a sudden push of chakra and a loud shout, she attempted to right herself by pushing off the trunk but instead felt a pair of arms yank her onto a stable branch. Gaara looked down at Sakura who nodded her thanks.

"We're almost to Konoha, we should take the ground from here." Gaara stated as Sakura nodded her reply. It was bad enough her judgment had been off on her leap but now the rain had soaked her under from where the water was running down the back of the cloak and she was in no mood to deal with the unpredictability of tree branches.

The two jumped to the ground, sinking almost immediately into the muddy forest floor. With a loud grumble of disapproval, Sakura took off once more with Gaara at her side.

When the gates finally came into view Sakura couldn't have been happier. She was now wet, cold, and suitably filthy, having ran through what she would dub the 'muddiest sludge pit' she had ever seen near Konoha.

The pair darted through the red gate and immediately took refuge under Kotetsu and Izumo's guard stand, startling both of them. Sakura shook her head as she inwardly wondered who exactly had made those two the guards.

"Did you get caught in this?" Kotetsu asked as Sakura attempted to push the wet locks that were obscuring her vision of hair out of her face.

"It opened up on us a few hours ago." Sakura mumbled as she felt herself shiver involuntarily as a stream of water ran down her back from the awning above. She inched closer to the inside of the awning, shooting the stream of water a dirty look.

Gaara noticed this and turned to Izumo.

"Tell Tsunade-sama we are back." Izumo nodded as Sakura mumbled something about a shower.

They left the guard post rather quickly, darting through the cobblestone streets full of rivers of water as the lightning lit up the sky. Not a person was in sight but laughter could still be heard coming from the warm and welcoming restaurants.

They ignored these voices and instead rushed to her house, quickly opening her door and slipping inside and out of the rain. They hung their coats up as Sakura yanked off two muddy travel boots with an angry huff and chucked them into a box near the entryway to her home.

An hour later and the two were sufficiently dry, clean, and content. Sakura had thrown the muddy clothes into the laundry and was currently snuggled deep into the covers on her bed. Gaara had said nothing when she had told him she was headed to bed to sleep and had simply joined her once he had placed his gourd and packs into her room. Silently he slipped into bed with her and stayed up for a while running over things in his head as he listened to Sakura's deep breathing.

End of Chapter 4


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Gaara walked into the living room just as a rejuvenated Sakura tugged on a pair of her usual sandal boots. They had woken and eaten breakfast an hour before when Sakura had mentioned that the rain had stopped. "I'm just going to get some food! I'll be back in a little while. Why don't you head over to Naruto's? He'll be happy to see you."

"I was planning on seeing him today." He replied as Sakura smiled at him.

"Well then I'll probably run into you both later." He nodded as she waved to him and headed down the path towards the market. He stood in the doorway watching her go before heading off to find Naruto.

Sakura sighed as her breath came out in a swirling puff of moisture that dissolved in the cool morning air. It was getting much warmer in Konoha but nothing compared to the warmth of Suna.

Sakura found herself relishing the green in Konoha. Suna, though it was now her home, would never cease to irritate her with its lack of color. The city could be beautiful at times but nothing compared to Konoha. No sand to get into every exposed part of your skin, no grating wind, no extreme dry heat, and color everywhere you looked.

Sakura knew that Suna had its charms but nowhere felt like Konoha.

Sakura continued her walk down to the markets where she stumbled upon a familiar face.

"Sakura it's been a while!" Kurenai smiled at her as Sakura smiled back.

"Kurenai-san it has been a while! Since my wedding I think. It's good to see you! How's little Mirai doing?"

Kurenai immediately launched into proud Mommy mode, gushing about how the little girl had started actually manipulating genjutsu on her and how she was such a handful at times. Sakura laughed as they walked into a familiar market store.

"Anyways, how have you been? We all heard about the attack near Suna, how are you faring now?" Sakura sighed and shook her head.

"It's all cleared up but the paperwork was horrible. I was so bogged down with the hospital and work I barely ever made it home. Gaara was just as bad off having to deal with the council and all of the other paperwork that I didn't have to deal with. Between the two of us the work was overwhelming." Kurenai shook her head reaching for a bag of flour that lay on a shelf.

"I would hate to do that. Paperwork was never my strong suit and I know how irritable it makes Tsunade." Sakura nodded her agreement.

"How have things been here?" Sakura picked up a head of lettuce and examined it before placing it in her basket.

"Things have been pretty much the same around here. There haven't been many missions. Mostly B rank or lower so a lot of the shinobi have been getting antsy. I think the rogues are afraid to act up."

"I guess that is a good thing and a bad thing. Good that there is no trouble but bad because fewer missions mean less pay and idiotic shinobi acting out." Kurenai nodded at her statement as she gave Sakura a knowing look. Sakura enjoyed Kurenai's company, having rarely had the chance to really talk with the woman outside of her hospital visits.

They continued walking down the produce aisle picking up fruits and vegetables and idly chatting. As they passed the aisle where the cereal was located, Kurenai looked over at Sakura as if suddenly realizing something.

"I forgot to ask Sakura, how was your honeymoon?" Sakura blinked at the sudden change of topic a little as Kurenai winked at her.

"It was lovely. We had our own private cove and a house all to ourselves. The air was so warm and there were so many things to do! It was really amazing." Kurenai raised her eyebrow and laughed.

"I bet you are still tired. I mean what with all of the 'activities' you did." She winked again at Sakura making the kunoichi blush as the dark haired woman laughed and gave her a sound pat on the back.

"Don't worry Sakura I'm just teasing. But how is everything going with the elders in Suna?" Kurenai asked as Sakura shot her a confused and troubled look.

"Elders? Why would I have problems with them? Is something going on with the elders here?" She placed a box in her basket and continued walking with Kurenai following close behind.

"No nothing's going on here but I'm surprised they aren't pushing you guys." Sakura was even more confused at Kurenai's words.

"Pushing? Why would they be pushing me, and to do what exactly? This isn't making much sense to me." Kurenai looked at her and gave her a soft smile.

"Ah it's nothing. I only meant that usually they push high-ranking officials to produce an heir at one point or another. At this point, it makes little difference and I wonder why they still do it." Sakura stood there shocked for a moment but shook it off as Kurenai changed the subject to a different matter. Eventually the two paid for their groceries and left the store.

"It was good to see you again Sakura but I have to get home before Konohamaru manages to lose Mirai again." She gave Sakura a small smile, which she happily returned.

"Oh I can understand that completely. It was good to see you as well Kurenai-san." She nodded and waved goodbye as she turned towards her house. Sakura's expression changed as she walked back to her house. She was still mulling over what Kurenai had said. The elders still pushed for heirs?

Sakura snorted. "Of course they do, those stuck up conniving old biddies." Sakura grumbled this just as an old man passing by her gave her a reproachful glare. She merely huffed and continued down the road pondering what Kurenai had brought to her attention.

Sakura knew the circumstances of Gaara's birth; she had been informed of that by Tsunade shortly before she had rescued him from the Akatsuki. She knew that the elders and his father used his mother to produce multiple heirs and ultimately to give birth to the Jinchuuriki weapon that would kill her and turn Gaara into a monster.

She knew from medical records that Kankuro was born only a year after Temari and Sakura had been told by Temari herself that their mother was not healthy enough to carry a third child, let alone have a demon forced inside of her.

As a result, Sakura assumed that Gaara resented the elders immensely and would not tolerate pressure for heirs much like he publicly refused any arranged marriages for Temari.

Sakura was mulling these thoughts over when a sudden and much more alarming thought jumped to the forefront of her mind. She couldn't remember when she had last had her contraceptive shot.

Sakura froze in the street, her mind racing and her body suddenly feeling as if it was made of lead. Usually she had her shot every three months and that was that, but now she couldn't remember when the last time was she had a shot. The wedding, moving to Suna, taking over the hospital and not having a set schedule had thrown her off. Had she had one since she had been married?

A kunoichi was expected from the time of puberty to use contraceptives. They were readily available and free. No one wanted an unexpected pregnancy. It was severely frowned upon in their line of work and often lead to severe and dangerous complications. A child born of an enemy was a liability and a temporarily sidelined kunoichi often became a permanently sidelined one.

A kunoichi had to control her body to protect herself and her village and besides, most shinobi struggled to find time to have children at all. For those who did continue their careers, well, there was a reason many of the children of shinobi were orphans. Sakura knew that most shinobi waited until they were older to have children and even then only ever had one child. One child was, in their line of work, more than the usual amount.

Sakura was so deep in thought on this immensely troubling matter that she hardly noticed Shikamaru before she nearly ran right into him. She started and looked up at him, his brown eyebrow cocked up on his forehead in a lazily concerned manner.

"Oh Shikamaru, hi! Sorry my mind was elsewhere." He nodded at her and then dug his hands out of his pockets.

"Ryo for your thoughts." He drawled as Sakura waved him off.

"Just something Kurenai said when I ran into her earlier, it's nothing of importance." Shikamaru hardly seemed convinced by this but decided to let it slide for the moment.

"Are you headed home?" He questioned as Sakura shifted the bags she was carrying.

"Yes, you're welcome to join me if you grab a bag or two." She smiled at the shadow wielder as he sighed.

"Troublesome, but I was meaning to talk to you anyways…" He trailed off as Sakura promptly deposited half of her shopping bags in his arms with a Cheshire-like grin.

"Thank you Shikamaru!" The pair walked to Sakura's house in pleasant silence.

"Just set the groceries on the counter." She called as they walked inside. Shikamaru did as directed as Sakura placed the cold items into the fridge.

"So now are you going to tell me what was on your mind when I saw you walking up to your house?" He asked calmly, and then heard the rustling of bags still.

"You caught me in thought again huh? I never could hide anything from you very well." She smiled wistfully and finished putting everything in the fridge, placing the bags under the sink. "I might as well tell you or I know you'll dig it out of me eventually." Shikamaru looked at her with an unwavering gaze as she sat down at the counter with a sigh.

"What's on your mind Sakura?" He asked, a troubling look settling on his face.

"I've been having these dreams. They're nice dreams and they make me so happy but I'm so confused. In the dreams there is always a child and I." Shikamaru raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Then today when Kurenai asked if the elders were pushing for an heir I began thinking that I couldn't remember when I'd last had a contraceptive injection." She didn't want to look at Shikamaru's face as she fiddled with her skirt, the shame in admitting that she had let something so important slip her mind washing over her as she spoke. She was a _medic_ and damn it, how had she forgotten something so important.

Shikamaru's brow furrowed and he looked at her seriously, immediately realizing the complicated situation she was in.

"So you think you might be pregnant?" He stated calmly and Sakura raised her head slightly to look up at him.

"I don't know Shika. The thought had never even crossed my mind until today. I'm only 21, I'm not even thinking about children and I don't know if Gaara would even want them. It was such a big step and a mystery that we even got married." She paused as Shikamaru waited for her to answer his original question.

"I think the chance might be there due to my carelessness but I don't know anything right now. I think I would be able to tell if I was but I can't be sure. I don't want to worry Gaara so please don't mention it." Shikamaru sighed and leaned back on the counter with his arms crossed in front of him.

"Well you don't have the symptoms right?" Sakura shook her head.

"But not all women do at first." He gave her a silent look and then sighed again and muttered under his breath.

"Sakura, do you remember when we were in the Academy? When I found you on the roof looking up at the clouds and I was so surprised. I hadn't ever seen anyone take any interest in the clouds besides me and I had never seen anyone up on the roof before. Do you know what I thought then? I thought 'There's someone that thinks a lot, just like I do.' Sometimes your thoughts can get jumbled or scared. You need to take the time and sort them out carefully. Right now this is just a scenario that hadn't been thought of before right?" Sakura nodded.

"It's unsettling because you can't be sure, it's very soon for you to be thinking about this possibility, you're in the peak of your career, and you are a newlywed." She nodded again. Shikamaru shook his head.

"No matter what is really going on, I know you, you can handle this and you'll have support. You're not on the active duty roster in Suna unless necessary so it wouldn't hinder your abilities at the hospital if it was true but you don't know anything right now. You could be worrying for nothing." Sakura took and deep breath and realized that Shikamaru was right.

"You're coming back to Suna with us right Shikamaru?" She stated out of the blue as Shikamaru gave her a sideways look.

"Was I that obvious?" Sakura smirked and nodded.

"I've known since the start. The others were a lot slower to catch on."

"Troublesome." She laughed and he gave a small smile as the mood increased dramatically. Shikamaru glanced at her and looked like he was about to say something else when the door opened.

"Naruto was not at his apartment; maybe you could…hello Shikamaru." Gaara nodded to Shikamaru who greeted him with a casual smile.

"Shikamaru and I bumped into each other and he said he had something to talk to me about so I invited him over." Sakura looked at the brown haired man and smiled. "This reminds me that he has yet to finish saying what he wanted to say." Shikamaru gave her his usual 'meddling woman' look and then turned to Gaara who was waiting for him to speak.

"I actually meant to talk to you both and ask when you are leaving." He sighed and stared pointedly at Sakura. "I intend to accompany you both back to Suna." Gaara looked at him, unblinking at this statement, and simply nodded.

"Soon. We need to get back soon or the elders will start complaining that we take too many non-business related vacations." Shikamaru shook his head.

"Our elders do the same when Tsunade gets sidetracked." Sakura laughed and stood up, drawing both boys attention.

"Do you want some lunch? I can make whatever." Gaara shook his head.

"I was actually thinking we could go to Ichiraku's in an attempt to locate Naruto." Sakura smiled and looked at Shikamaru.

"That would be nice; do you want to come along Shikamaru?" He stared at her expectant face and gave a defeated shrug.

"Sure." She beamed and stood with Gaara, moving to the door where they all pulled on their shoes. They talked little as they walked down the road, enjoying the company they were with.

Ichiraku's was surprisingly empty and devoid of any loud blonde-haired people as they stepped under the hanging fabric, seeing Teuchi and Ayame's faces light up at their new customers.

"It's always a pleasure to see the faces of old friends here. Sakura, it's good to see you. Naruto's missed you and we've missed you helping him keep his foot out of his mouth." Teuchi said with a smile and a wink. Sakura laughed at this as she sat on a stool next to Gaara. Shikamaru took a seat on his other side.

"It's nice to be back in Konoha for a while. I just wish I could get Ichiraku's in Suna but I guess that is a treat special only to Konoha." She smiled and Teuchi beamed, handing her a steaming bowl of vegetable ramen, surprising Gaara and Shikamaru who had not heard her order.

Sakura looked at the ramen and giggled before laughing heartily along with Teuchi who was smiling. "You always know how to make me smile Teuchi." The boys shot her a confused glance as she shrugged.

Teuchi was quick to fill them in on the joke.

"The first time she ever tried my ramen she ordered that kind and spit it all over a very enthusiastic Naruto. It turns out I accidentally added too much red pepper to the wrong kind of ramen. She didn't want to eat here ever again but Naruto dragged her back here after training day after day and eventually made her try the same kind of ramen a second time explaining that it was a mistake. She did try it and it became the only kind of ramen she would eat here until she became a Chunin. I thought she would like it for old time's sake." Sakura nodded to him as the boys glanced over at her bowl.

"I'll have a bowl of it then." Gaara stated, glad to find a suggestion available to him other than the simple 'it's all amazing ramen' from Naruto. Shikamaru raised two fingers to Teuchi who nodded and set about getting them their bowls.

"I promise you Teuchi the only ramen I will ever let my kids eat will be Ichiraku's." Sakura quipped, her mind not registering what she had said. Immediately she bit her tongue cursing her distracted mind.

Gaara stifled a small cough as he swallowed the ramen noodle that was in his mouth and Shikamaru gave Sakura a sideways glance. Teuchi moved a little closer to the counter as Ayame's face lit up like a light bulb.

"Ah so there's going to be a little one soon?" Ayame asked immediately as Sakura nearly kicked herself as she shook her head.

"No but I've always liked children and I was just thinking the kids in Suna don't get the luxury of having your ramen." She quickly amended as Ayame and Teuchi shared a disbelieving glance.

 _"Way to go Sakura. Keep your thoughts on that idea all day why don't you?"_ She inwardly berated herself.

"Ah well if you do have a baby yourself, make sure to bring them here, I just love babies!" Ayame commented happily, walking back to the kitchen where Teuchi appeared to have innocently gone back to cooking the ramen.

Gaara had gone rather stiff at this comment, he had never thought of children before. He had hated them in the past but now the idea didn't scare him quite so much as it intrigued him. He inwardly balked at this thought for a moment. Since when had he thought that?

"You know Shikamaru I seem to remember you saying you liked kids as well." Sakura broke the silence, aiming a glance at him that made him promptly narrow his eyes.

"I haven't even proposed yet troublesome woman."

"Finally." Gaara muttered. Sakura laughed as Shikamaru went back to eating his ramen in defeated silence.

They paid for the meal and waved goodbye to Teuchi and Ayame before starting the walk back to Sakura's house. Shikamaru parted with them half way, making excuses about finding Choji that Sakura knew to be completely untrue.

Gaara suggested furthering their search for Naruto to which Sakura agreed.

The two walked towards the edge of town, headed for the training areas Naruto frequented. Part of her was amazed that the blonde had yet to catch wind of their arrival but a larger part of her knew that her blonde teammate was usually the last to hear of such things.

As they continued along the street Sakura became more and more occupied by the nagging thoughts in her head and, as such, wasn't really enjoying the walk.

Gaara noticed her lagging pace and eventually stopped. "I can tell something's on your mind. We can go somewhere so you can think. I know that helps you." She looked up at him and nodded. They continued on their course, walking to the Konoha bridge where they suddenly diverted, moving away from the training fields and towards the clearing that Sakura loved so much.

The clearing was decidedly more beautiful than it had been in winter. The trees were now pink as cherry blossoms clung to large branches. Sakura moved into the clearing and found a spot on the green grass that had been thoroughly dried by the sun. She promptly sat down and sighed.

"I just need to sort my thoughts, that's all." He nodded and laid back in the grass as she sat with her arms loosely around her knees. The air blew through the clearing, rustling the grass as Gaara watched the clouds pass by.

 _"It's sort of sad that we never get clouds in Suna. They add to the scenery."_ Shukaku chuckled at this and Gaara exhaled quietly. _"I knew you'd show up."_

 ** _"Damn kid that's pansy talk. You've lost your edge. You used to be so much more fun when you were younger."_** Gaara scowled a little and continued to watch the clouds."

 _"I killed people without a second thought. I was an empty shell of a person and I even tried to kill my siblings. That was not a life. I will never forget what it was like."_ Shukaku growled at this and Gaara merely shut him out, not wanting to hear the residual demon complain. Next to him Sakura was still deep in thought.

 ** _"You know I could just help you out here and save us a major headache later."_** Inner stated plainly and Sakura furrowed her brows.

 _"What do you mean help me out?"_ Inner tsked and continued.

 ** _"Look instead of trying to sort through all of your thoughts just go and do a stupid blood test. You know how. I'm just saying if you want a definitive answer on this whole 'having a kid' thing go ahead."_** Sakura looked over at Gaara who was watching the clouds. He caught her gaze and held it as he sat up to be at her eye level.

"What is it?"

"Gaara, have the elders said anything to you about producing…an heir?" She gave him an apprehensive look, her green eyes searching for an answer. His face hardened and she could tell he didn't like her questioning in the slightest.

"They mentioned it, but they were quickly put into their place. I can tolerate their antics but I will not tolerate that. They will never be able to pressure me or anyone else into that. You won't be forced into anything Sakura." Sakura could feel his chakra bristling and immediately moved to calm him down.

"I know I won't be Gaara, I never doubted you and I know I would never let anyone use me like that. I just wondered if they would try." His stern gaze met hers and slowly he began to calm once more. He sighed and reached out to lay a hand on her arm.

"If that's what has been worrying you, put it out of your mind." Sakura nodded, somehow not comforted by his words. It sounded, to her, like he didn't particularly want children. Especially not now.

Silently she laid back down on the grass with Gaara who was confident that he had alleviated at least some of her worry.

In her head Sakura knew she would have to get an answer soon, before they were back in Suna. She was worried now and she needed to know. She needed to have time to think.

Later that night, when Gaara and Sakura had given up their search for Naruto, Ino dropped by with most of their friends and declared they were going to have a party before they left. This caused Sakura, with the help of Ino, Hinata, and Tenten to prepare a huge meal for everyone with snacks, courtesy of Ino who had brought all of the supplies.

Naruto came bursting into the house crying out that he had been on a mission and 'why hadn't anyone told him Sakura-chan and Gaara were back?!' Sakura had knocked him upside the head and greeted Kakashi with a smile as the man walked calmly past Naruto and into the crowded living room.

"So I was helping Kakashi-sensei with a mission…"

"You mean you were in my squad."

"…and some guy tries to mug us with a broken blade in some alley and almost blows our cover!"

" _You_ were the one who almost blew our cover by shouting at him about being a shinobi." Kakashi drawled casually, causing Naruto to turn on him and yell something about him being ungrateful for what he did for him.

Kiba laughed at this and pointed out that he was the one who had to rescue them in the end when Naruto almost got himself surrounded by enemy shinobi as Kakashi was retrieving what they had been sent on the mission to get.

This led to more laughter from the others including an amused smirk from Neji, who was sitting on the couch next to Tenten, and who was pointedly avoiding talking to anyone. Almost all of the Rookie Nine were in her living room along with Sai, Shizune, the Sensei, including Kurenai, and Tsunade who had brought wine and sake for everyone.

"You know we never did get to see baby pictures of you Sakura. At your wedding I mean." Tsunade called over the noise, giving Sakura a sly glance over her glass that Sakura knew spelled trouble.

"Oh well that's alright we don't need to see them right?" Sakura waved her off and set down the snacks, hoping to create a diversion.

"The photos of the beginning of youth are always a beautiful sight!" Gai proclaimed as Sakura wondered for the umpteenth time why she had let him into her house.

"Yes I agree. Photo album time!" Ino declared as she set three massive binders down on the table in front of Sakura, having pulled them out of the closet in the hall.

"I think this is all of them. Man your parents really did take a lot of pictures!" Ino huffed, shaking her head. Sakura simply sighed and sat down as Gaara walked in the room.

"I didn't know it was a family trait to take pictures." He whispered to Sakura, who currently was paying rather close attention to a cracker on the tray.

"Now let's start at the beginning it's only fair." Tsunade announced as the entire room attempted to crowd around to get a good look at the binder that Tsunade was now holding up like a picture book. She grinned as she opened the first binder to the first page where a huge picture of a few-moments-old Sakura sleeping in her mother's arms at the hospital took up the center of the page.

"AWWWW!" The girls all melted exclaiming over how cute she was as Gaara smiled at his wife's red faced expression.

Tsunade moved to the next page where five more pictures of Sakura when she was a few days old were pasted. In every one, she was fast asleep, tiny wisps of pink hair clinging to the top of her head.

The next page had a picture of Sakura with her eyes open and a little patch of pink hair on her head. This caused another chorus of aw's from the girls and a smile from everyone else including a rather forced smile from Neji after Tenten elbowed him in the ribs.

They laughed at the picture of Sakura's little face screwed up in a frown as her mother was trying to feed her peas. The next picture made Sakura smile as she saw her mother with peas sprayed all over her face and clothes as baby Sakura laughed in her high chair.

"You were always just as feisty huh Sakura-chan?" Naruto prodded with a grin. Sakura smacked his arm in return as he laughed.

"Oh here's a great one!" Tsunade announced, holding up the book where a small Sakura was standing looking very unstable as she tried to walk. The torso of a man kneeling on the floor could be seen in the corner and Sakura's blushing expression faded and softened.

Gaara noticed this as Tsunade turned the page where a picture of the back of a man's head could be seen holding onto Sakura as she giggled and reached for the camera over his shoulder. The next one made Gaara look at Sakura as he heard her gasp a little. There was her father holding her hand in the air as she giggled in his arms and he smiled happily. Two sets of green eyes were looking at the camera. One looking out from behind pink bangs, and the other from under two pink pigtails. Tsunade turned the page and revealed a picture of her parents smiling at her as she lay on a small blanket looking up at a mobile.

"Sakura you were so tiny!" Tenten squealed over the picture as Sakura sat with a small smile on her face watching Tsunade turn the pages showing her crawling, eating, playing, and sitting on her parent's laps. In almost every picture, her father was standing off to the side or her mother was watching her.

The others were all exclaiming over the pictures as Sakura watched with a growing happiness. Soon the pictures changed to her on her first birthday, her face full of cake as her mother laughed in the corner and her father fed her. The others all laughed heartily when they saw a picture of baby Sakura sitting next to a tiny spiky haired baby who was happily holding onto a toy with Sakura. In the corner, a blonde haired girl sat in her father's lap, squirming and looking angrily at the toy Sakura was waving in the air. They all looked at Ino who was red faced and Shikamaru who had his poker face firmly in place.

"Oh now we're getting somewhere!" Tsunade grinned and turned the page to something that made most of them squirm.

The picture was a huge one, taking up both pages and showing a large group of people sitting on some stairs or standing behind the others. In the front, from left to right, was a spiky haired man holding a spiky, brown haired baby, sitting next to a brown haired woman, making up the Nara family.

Then came the Haruno family with a pink haired man, holding a pink haired girl, smiling at the camera while the baby held onto a reddish haired woman's finger.

A man sat next to them holding a blonde haired baby next to a blonde haired woman who was also smiling at the camera making up the Yamanaka family.

Behind them stood a man with brown hair holding a baby with pudgy cheeks with swirls on them. He was next to a woman with brown hair making up the Akimichi family.

A younger looking Iruka stood behind them all holding a blonde haired baby with whiskers who was waving his arms in the air that was without a doubt Naruto.

A man stood next to him holding a brown haired baby with red fangs on his cheeks next to a brown haired woman with the same fangs on her cheeks.

At the end of the row stood a black haired family with a younger child near their feet and a small black haired baby in the woman's arms making up the Uchiha family. Everyone in the photo was smiling at the camera and looked happy.

"Wait is that Iruka-sensei? Man he was so young!" Naruto called out smiling happily, as Tsunade laughed as well.

"My dad looks the same now as he did then." Shikamaru stated, avoiding the fact that he was in the picture in an adorable little vest with the Nara symbol on it. Of course, Kiba didn't miss this and pointed it out making the shadow shinobi mutter under his breath. Neji and Shino were acting rather smug due to the fact that their families were not in the picture.

"Naruto you look as energetic as always, you've been giving Iruka-sensei a hard time for forever haven't you?" Sakura joked, smiling at the blonde. He beamed back at her. Tsunade turned the page again and burst out laughing.

"Oh my- you should-bwahaha!" Shizune took the binder from her and also burst into laughter when she looked at the picture. When the photo was turned around, the reaction was near instantaneous. The room filled with laughter, from Ino's snorting giggle to Kiba's barking laugh.

"That is the funniest picture I think I've ever seen of us!" Ino gasped out, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes as the laughter died down into giggles and sniffs.

The picture was completely comical. Shikamaru's dad was obviously crying out as his mother had stood up and appeared to be yelling at him. Shikamaru was grabbing onto his dad's ponytail and had climbed onto his shoulders, yanking it down at a harsh angle.

Ino had apparently poked her dad in the eye and had fallen onto her mother's lap as her dad was holding his eye and wincing heavily and her mom was clenching her teeth as she grabbed onto Ino and seemed to be keeping her from falling to the ground.

Choji had slipped down in his father's arms and both his mother and father seemed to be scrambling to catch him.

Naruto had apparently kneed Iruka in the crotch as the man appeared to be doubled over in pain as he struggled to hang on to the blonde who was slightly blurred as he had apparently been flailing.

Kiba had his mouth latched onto his father's hand and the man appeared to be yelling in pain while his mother was trying to pull him off his father's finger while yelling.

Sasuke had latched onto his father's nose and pulled it down while Itachi was laughing as his mother shot a glare at him.

Sakura had decided to crawl off her father's lap and proudly held a large slug in her hand. Her mother's face was one of horror as her father sat laughing in the midst of the chaos.

"Wow look at my mom's face! That's great!" Kiba laughed and pointed at his mother. "She always said I was a biter, but then again, most Inuzukas are." He grinned and Naruto laughed. After a while of pointing out things and laughing, they turned the page and saw a tiny Sakura holding her dad's hand in the park and playing with him. The binder finished and they all settled down to jovially talking again.

Kurenai excused herself to go home to Mirai, saying her goodbyes as Gai, Lee, Shino, and Kakashi left with her.

"I wonder what your kids will look like Forehead." Ino crooned making Sakura, who was carrying empty plates and platters back to the kitchen, freeze and hunch up her shoulders.

"Personally I want to see a little boy with hot pink hair." Tenten joked and Naruto and Kiba winced as they heard the dishes being set down slightly harder than normal in the kitchen.

"That would be tragic. Gaara, I feel for you." Kiba murmured to the red haired man who was looking increasingly uncomfortable.

"You know I almost want to see a mix of red and pink in their hair." Tsunade interjected as Shizune nodded. Sakura walked back into the room and shook her head.

"What is it today everything seems to be about babies? Ayame asked me if I was going to have kids, we looked at the baby pictures, and now everyone's talking about it like it's a done deal." She looked a little frustrated and Ino laughed.

"Well it's only natural Forehead, you two were the first to get married. You've already completed the first hurdle towards domestic shinobi life." Sakura scoffed at this.

"Domestic shinobi life doesn't exist Pig, honestly have you even _seen_ my life?" Tsunade stood and stretched widely just before the two girls could launch into an argument.

"Did anyone happen to notice exactly when Lee, Kakashi, Shino and Gai left?" Tsunade interjected. The conversation stopped and they looked around confused.

"Huh I didn't notice they were gone." Choji yawned.

"Well, it's not often that I'm one of the first to leave but I open the shop tomorrow so I'm am going to head home. I'll see ya later Forehead! You still owe me lunch!" Ino warned playfully as Sakura stuck her tongue out at her friend in a totally-not-childish way. The others all followed until only Shikamaru, Naruto, Tsunade and Shizune had yet to say goodbye.

"I'm so glad I got to see you Sakura-chan, you too Gaara! I miss you too much when you're gone." Sakura rolled her eyes as the blonde pulled her into one of his bone-crushing hugs.

"We can't be here all the time Naruto. You'll just have to come visit us when you get the chance." She gasped out as Naruto finally released her and gave her a look that surprised the medic. His smile was soft and understanding as opposed to his usually goofy grin. He glanced between them and in that moment, Sakura realized how mature he really had become and wondered what on earth had caused such an expression from the blonde. Before she had a chance to outwardly react, he gave them both his usual beaming smile and waved as he walked out the door. "I'll see you two tomorrow for training! Night Sakura-chan, night Gaara!" The blonde walked out of the door with this statement and disappeared off into the night.

Sakura watched him leave and then turned her attention to her last three houseguests.

"I always enjoy seeing you Sakura." Shizune smiled at her, pulling the girl into a tight hug.

"I miss working with you Shizune. Be sure to keep Shishou in line." She smiled at Shizune as she whispered the last bit. Shizune simply sighed and nodded as Tsunade gave Sakura a sideways glance.

"Keep up with your reports to me Sakura." Tsunade gave Sakura a stern look that the pink haired girl recognized as only being a half-hearted attempt at intimidation. She smiled at her Shisho's attempt at affectionate caring banter.

 _"She never was one for being overly touchy-feely."_ Sakura mused.

"Yes Shishou. Thank you for coming over tonight." She smiled at her and waved the two off as they left her house.

Shikamaru, the last one to leave for what Sakura knew was most likely the first time in his life, merely sighed and waved at them both as he walked out the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Sakura rolled her eyes at the brunette and watched him leave from the open door.

"Night Shika!" She called out to him as he raised a hand in response. She shook her head as she shut the door, much to Gaara's amusement. Her green eyes turned to look at him as she sighed and slipped her arm into his own, leaning against him slightly.

"Tired?" He murmured as they began walking to her room. He saw her nod slightly.

"Let's go to bed Gaara; that group always wears me out." Gaara couldn't help but find amusement in her statement as he followed his wife into her room and shut the door behind them.

End of Chapter 5


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Sakura woke up early and was surprised, and mildly relieved, to see Gaara still soundly sleeping in the bed. His chakra and breathing was quiet and calm and she suspected that he really was asleep, and would not wake as long as she was quiet. Though he had gotten much better, it was still rare to find Gaara soundly asleep in the morning and Sakura knew that he still suffered bouts of insomnia. Sometimes she felt the bed move in the night and knew that he was awake and was simply lying in the bed and thinking since he could not sleep.

With unnatural grace gained through years of missions and training, Sakura sat up on the edge of the bed and tiptoed across the room so as not to wake him. Her steps were soft and almost silent as she walked down the hall to the kitchen.

After a quick inspection of the fridge she decided upon miso soup and rice balls, pulling the rice balls out of the fridge from the night before and heating them up in the microwave. She had already gotten out the miso soup and put it in the microwave after the rice balls were done. She then settled into the couch in the living room and turned on the television, taking care to keep the volume low.

Gaara had woken up to the smell of food cooking. He had felt Sakura's chakra stir and had known she was up earlier but he had somehow managed to stay in a semi-sleep state. Seeing that there was no kunoichi lying next to him he assumed she had woken up early and made herself breakfast. He yawned and stretched before standing and walking to the door leading to the hallway.

There were two containers of food on the counter, one with miso soup in it, the other with rice balls. He picked them both up and placed them in the microwave, setting the time and waiting for it to heat up. He heard movement in the other room and a quiet sigh proved his assumption that Sakura was up.

The microwave beeped and Gaara pulled out the food placing the soup in a bowl and the rice balls on the plate where the bowl rested. He walked into the living room and saw his wife curled up on the sofa with her head on a pillow looking lazily at the television screen.

"Are you alright Sakura?" He asked, concerned at her slightly creased brow.

"I'm fine I'm just still a bit tired." She gave him a smile as he sat near her outstretched legs.

 _"The perpetrator has yet to be caught. In other news there is reason to believe that there will be a shift in the political standing in the Land of Iron…"_ Sakura tuned out the senseless chatter of the television and the useless news about foreign politics that never affected anyone. The Land of Iron was always changing political powers and she never bothered with their news anyways. In truth, nobody did except for the news station on a slow day.

Sakura attempted to stifle a small yawn as she stretched and stood from the couch. Gaara's turquoise eyes followed her as she grabbed her bowls and returned to the kitchen. He followed soon after and set his bowls in the dishwasher as Sakura turned to face him. "So are we heading back to Suna tomorrow or tonight?"

"Tomorrow morning I think. We've been away for a long time." She nodded and sighed, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around his solid figure. Gaara stiffened but then wrapped his arms around her and loosened up as she had taught him to do. "What is it Sakura?"

"It's nothing. I guess I'm kind of missing Suna." Gaara's eyes scanned over her head as his hand ran through a few of the pink strands.

"When we're in Suna you miss Konoha." His voice held a tinge of amusement that made Sakura feel a little bit better as she loosened her arms and looked up at him.

"We'd better get going. Naruto wants to train today and I have to say goodbye to everyone." Gaara nodded and followed her to their room where they got ready for the day.

"Sakura-chan! Gaara! You guys finally decided to show up!" Naruto beamed at them from across the training field. They were far back in the woods at one of the training fields used mostly for taijutsu training where a large waterfall fell into a lake. It was a beautiful spot and Sakura always loved training here.

"Morning Naruto." Sakura smiled as the blonde practically bounced over to where she and Gaara stood. "Sparring with taijutsu and clones?" She asked, pulling on her black gloves as she looked up at her taller companions.

Naruto's blonde spikes bounced as he nodded. "Yup 's what I was thinking." He gave her a signature grin as Sakura shook her head.

"I hope you remember that I can still beat you Naruto. Just because I'm not rushing off on missions all the times doesn't mean I've gotten soft." Gaara regarded his wife with a sideways glance.

Naruto's smile only grew wider as he rocked back on his heels. "I dunno Sakura-chan. I've gotten better since you've left. Gaara'll finally get to see how awesome my taijutsu is. Just don't feel too bad when I beat you." His blue-eyed gaze moved to the silent redhead as Gaara regarded him with a friendly expression.

Sakura shook her head at the blonde as she glanced at her husband. Naruto was underestimating Gaara again. "Well if you're done talking we can get started. Ground rules stand: taijustu only, clones are allowed, solid hit that sends you into something means you're finished." The two boys nodded as they all took a few steps away from one another.

Naruto was practically bubbling with anticipation as Sakura's eyes darted between the two boys. She was going to enjoy this. With a smile on her face she raised her hand and abruptly brought it downwards as Naruto jumped forwards with a loud holler of excitement.

Sakura shot forward to meet Naruto with a punch that Naruto dodged. The blonde launched away from Sakura as three clones appeared at his sides.

They continued for a few hours, going through multiple rounds of dodging and weaving through the attacks brought on by the others. Naruto's clones were focusing on Sakura while the boy himself was engaged in a fast-paced battle with Gaara. Gaara, having not extensively learned close-range combat without his sand, was faltering slightly as one of the blonde's hits finally landed on his shoulder. Due to his sand armor, he was left untouched but the force was enough to propel him into a tree as Naruto whirled on Sakura.

Unfortunately for him, Sakura's chakra punches had made unbelievably quick work of his clones and all of her focus was now on Naruto himself.

She engaged the blonde immediately, launching a flurry of punches at the boy that were slowly getting more dangerous. Naruto was completely focused on Sakura, his blue eyes full of a happy sort of glee as he landed two hits on the side of her heel as she attempted a roundhouse kick. Sakura flipped away from the blonde and turned just as he charged at her. Her leg shot out to hit his, catching him off balance as a fist finally connected with his stomach and sufficiently sent him hurtling into a nearby tree.

With a triumphant look plastered on her face, Sakura straightened and moved towards the blonde who was picking himself up from the ground. His blue eyes found hers as he gave her a pleasant smile.

"You've still got it Sakura-chan." She shook her head as she reached out and healed his bruised ribs.

"I'd hope so! It wouldn't do for Suna to have a head medic who wasn't good with chakra." She gave Naruto a pat on his side, letting him know that she was finished healing him. Gaara had joined the two after watching their small battle. He was the only one without a scratch as his sand armor had blocked every blow.

Naruto gleefully chatted away to Sakura, trying to convince her to spar once more but the pink haired girl was insistent that she had things to do today and that, yes she did miss sparring with him. The two had sparred often when Sakura was living in Konoha and some days she really did miss their team trainings.

Gaara joined the conversation as Sakura mentioned going to get some lunch. He told them that Choji had mentioned it last night and that the group was planning on going. Naruto was all too happy with the idea and the trio set off towards Konoha with an enthusiastic blonde happily leading the way.

Shikamaru stood outside the barbeque place with his hands in his pockets waiting for the others to arrive. He didn't need to wait very long as he could hear Naruto's voice for at least three minutes before he actually saw the blonde. Sakura rounded a corner with Gaara and Naruto next to her and immediately looked relieved as she noticed Shikamaru.

"Hey Shikamaru! Are the others inside already?" He nodded and Sakura smiled walking in as the hostess smiled at them.

"We got you a separate room I'll show you how to get there." She smiled and walked away, having Sakura and the others follow her to a large sliding door, which she opened, revealing the entire rookie nine sitting around the table waiting for them.

Sakura smiled and walked in sitting next to Shikamaru who had taken a seat next to Naruto. Gaara sat next to Sakura who was smiling as if she was the luckiest person alive. Everyone was there including Shino and Neji who even seemed to be enjoying themselves. A massive amount of barbeque was cooking in front of them on the large circular cook top. Everyone had a glass in front of them and some servers were currently filling them with champagne. In a circle around the table sat Sakura then Shikamaru, Naruto, Choji, Ino, Tenten, Neji, Lee, Shino, Hinata, and Kiba who sat next to Gaara. After all of the glasses were filled, Choji stood and raised his glass to the others.

"I propose a toast! To Shikamaru for finally plucking up the courage to go to Suna and ask Temari to marry him! Since she will obviously say yes, congratulations Shikamaru and may you be happy with her!" He smiled at his friend and the others all raised their glasses as well.

"To Shikamaru!" They all said happily before taking a sip of the champagne. Shikamaru shook his head at his longtime friends.

"You are all nosy and troublesome." He murmured, a soft expression on his face despite his words. They all laughed and rolled their eyes at him, turning their attention to the food.

"We're gonna miss you too Shikamaru. You'll have to promise to be my advisor when I'm Hokage. The Nara clan has roots in Konoha you know." Naruto gave Shikamaru an uncharacteristically serious look and then grinned.

"I don't see how I could get out of that position anyways." Sakura patted his hand and he turned to look at her.

"We'll be in Suna with you Shika, don't worry you're not leaving everyone." She smiled and Shikamaru did as well nodding before joining in on the conversation Naruto was having with Kiba over some show they saw on television. The conversation died down as the servers came back with rice and sushi as well as soup and more meat for their barbeque.

"This is amazing you guys thanks for putting this all together Ino!" Sakura said happily as she poured some soup into her bowl. Ino smiled and nodded to her.

"You can repay me by making me your kid's godmother some day!" She smirked and Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"Back to that again Ino-pig?" She questioned pointing a chopstick at the blonde in what could be seen as a threatening manner. Choji eyed the girls nervously as Ino laughed and grinned mischievously at her.

"You bet Forehead!" Sakura picked up a large piece of meat with her chopsticks and looked as if she was about to launch it at the blonde when she heard Shikamaru snort quietly beside her.

"What was that for Shikamaru?" She asked him, one pink eyebrow raised high on her forehead.

"What was what for Sakura? I didn't do anything." He feigned innocence as his eyes closed and he calmly sipped his soup. She rolled her eyes and bumped his arm causing some of the soup on his spoon to fall on his hand. He looked at her skeptically and returned to his soup sipping.

The conversation picked up again as everyone slowed their eating until only a few were grazing on the bits of food left on their plates. The server put it all on Tsunade's tab when Sakura told Ino that Tsunade would gladly pay for it. Naruto chuckled and they all left in good spirits. When they were outside Tenten was the first to hug Sakura, saying her goodbyes.

"Let me know if you ever need another weapons specialist helping out in Suna!" She smiled and Sakura nodded as Neji nodded to them both before leaving to presumably walk Tenten home. Lee was after her of course, making his goodbye a comically big deal.

"Sakura let the springtime of youth shine upon you in Suna and let you have a wonderful life with Gaara!" He smiled and Sakura gave him a small hug. He beamed and then smiled at Gaara before leaving presumably to follow Tenten and Neji. Ino and Hinata hugged Sakura and Gaara before saying goodbye to them both with Ino's added,

"I'll see you at your baby shower Forehead!" Followed by Sakura's jest of;

"I'll see you at your wedding Ino-pig!" This made Choji blush as he hugged Sakura and she smiled at him fondly.

"Come back soon!" He said with a smile as he waited for Shikamaru.

"I'd better spend some time with him today it's gonna be tough with me leaving for a while. I'll catch you tomorrow." He said to Sakura and she nodded as Gaara did as well. Shino gave them a small nod and a simple,

"Safe travels." Sakura thought it was a lot coming from the stoic bug user. He only ever really talked to his own teammates and even then, he was quiet. Kiba was of course very boisterous in his goodbye hugging Sakura and Gaara and then telling them he would come to Suna soon with Akamaru. Akamaru in turn gave Sakura a big lick on the cheek and she smiled at the dog petting his large head.

"I'll miss you too Akamaru!" He barked and Sakura smiled as Kiba waved goodbye to them. Naruto looked at the pair and smiled with his usual mischievousness.

"You know I'll come to Suna soon. I'm really gonna miss you guys." Sakura pulled Naruto in close and smiled against his tall frame as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'll miss you too Naruto. You're my team mate so I know wherever I am I'll have you to count on. You know you have me as well." She pulled back smiling at the blonde as he held her close once more. Gaara came over and put his hand on Naruto's shoulder looking at the blonde with a fondness Sakura knew was reserved for close friends and family.

"You are always welcome in Suna." Naruto nodded and smiled at the two before turning and giving them a huge wave and a grin as he walked away.

Sakura was suddenly jarred back into her memories seeing him do the same thing as an Academy student to Iruka, as a Genin countless times, and as he grew until she blinked and saw him as he was in front of her giving her the same grin he always did with the same wave she was used to seeing. She realized she really did miss not having Naruto around no matter how annoying he could get. She shook this off as she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked at her red haired husband who was giving her a heart melting smile that was small but as sincere as anyone else's.

"Shall we go home?" He asked and Sakura laughed.

"Yes we shall. Temari needs to stop trying to make you into a perfect gentleman. I married a shinobi who was fine without all of the false airs."

While walking through the market they saw Ayame talking to a man at a cart stall about some herbs he was selling. She saw Sakura and Gaara and ran over smiling happily at them.

"Sakura! I'm happy I caught you before you left! My father wanted me to give you this I was just on my way to your house to give it to you!" She handed her a large bag full of what appeared to be bags of freeze-dried ramen. "Just add water to them and heat them up. My father dried his best ramen for you and said he has specific cooking instruction in there. A little taste of Ichiraku's in Suna." Sakura smiled and thanked Ayame giving her a hug and waving goodbye to her as she returned to the market stall. Gaara smiled down at Sakura as they walked down the road to her house.

She opened the door and walked in going to the bedroom to bring their packs into the kitchen. "I'm going to pack some food for the trip to Suna since we are going to be running this time and it will take longer." Gaara nodded as she added some of the standard food ration packs to their bags. "I'm sorry it's nothing fancy, just standard food but I am bringing three bentos for dinner one night. Oh and some fruit; apples and bananas. Is that alright?"

"Yes that will be fine." Gaara said casually from his place in the living room. He had picked up the photo album that still lay on the table turning through the pages to the one where Sakura was being held by her father. His eyes were exactly like Sakura's. They were the same color but there was more to it than that. He could tell that they held the same determination and pride that her eyes always showed. He had pink hair that hung down in his face a little and was in a slightly messy style. It gave him a playful sort of look. He had a gentle sort of look to him but had very toned arms showing that he was in shape. His smile was genuine and kind and Gaara knew that a lot of people must have liked seeing it. He saw that same smile on Sakura's face a lot but especially when she was working in the hospital with patients. He looked like a nice man and Gaara wished he could have met him.

"Here I don't know where you want me to put the food in your pack." Sakura said walking into the living room where Gaara was now sitting on the couch casually as he turned on the television. She noticed the photo albums on the table and picked them all up setting them on top of an open scroll on the floor. She sealed them in it and then placed the scroll in her pack. "I meant to take that last time. I guess I overlooked them." Gaara looked at her with a smile and she raised an eyebrow. "What's with the smile?" She asked, slightly amused.

"Nothing I didn't notice I was smiling I guess it just happened." She laughed and walked back to the kitchen holding their packs.

"Ok well I don't have anything planned for dinner so I guess we can just make something if we get hungry. Personally I feel full from that barbeque." She patted her stomach as she walked back into the living room where Gaara made room for her on the couch. She sat down and drew her legs up next to her before leaning on the armrest and lazily watching the show that was on TV. "I remember watching this somewhere what's it called?" she said after a moment. Gaara picked up the remote and hit the channel button.

"Faded Promises." He said and she nodded.

"It was on a few weeks ago. This is actually a pretty good movie, but their fighting styles are so off it's almost comical. No shinobi would fail to block that unless they were a Genin." She pointed out as one of the fake shinobi fell victim to a rather slow moving kunai. Gaara smiled a little as she laughed at another one who comically rolled his eyes back into his head as he fell before twitching on the ground.

"They should hire real shinobi to do this." He said, and Sakura nodded, still giggling.

"Do you think I could go to the hospital? I want to go and see some of the patients and nurses." Sakura mentioned after a while. Gaara looked at her and nodded.

"Do you want me to come?" Sakura smiled.

"You should go see Shikamaru instead. I think he'll be at his parent's house after he's done talking to Choji. I know the hospital will bore you. I'll go over to his place when I'm done I want to talk to his mother about something." Gaara nodded as Sakura kissed her forehead before she stood up. "See you soon." He smiled.

She waved and walked out the door. She walked down the road taking in the familiarity of the town and the people. The people were talking to each other and creating the usual chatter on the market road taking things easy and slow as always. Sakura smiled and picked up a fresh tomato sitting on a cart of someone she knew.

"Ah Ms. are you interested in our tomatoes?" He said happily, as he turned around with his eyes closed as Sakura remembered him doing many times before.

"Yes Toni I was looking for some for supper tonight." She said happily. Toni opened his eyes and broke into a huge grin.

"Why Sakura-san! 'Ow 'ave you been?" Toni asked in his usual heavy accent. Sakura smiled and laughed.

"I have been great Toni and you? How are Mati and the grandkids?"

"We are all good! When you got married in Suna We all watched the ceremony! Mati was crying at the end of it all! We all had a big celebration! Practically all of Konoha was celebrating! You could hear people cheering for miles around!" Sakura laughed and handed Toni the five tomatoes she decided to get and he placed them in a bag for her before accepting her money.

"I hope you and Mati have a chance to come to Suna soon!" Toni nodded.

"Mati wants to go for the moon festival and the sand festival. I hope we can they are just as good as Konoha's Cherry Blossom festival!" Sakura smiled and waved to Toni as the old man waved back and watched her leave down the market road. Sakura was in good spirits as she approached the hospital and noticed a familiar shinobi heading in the same direction.

"Iruka-sensei!" Sakura called running up to the man as he turned, looking rather bewildered.

"Sakura? It's great to see you!" He said as the pinkette stopped in front of her smiling former teacher.

"It's great to see you too Iruka-sensei! How are the new academy kids?" She asked and he sighed.

"I'm coming to visit one here actually he got a nasty flu virus and had to stay over here until he gets better." Sakura nodded and smiled at her old sensei. "You know Sakura you seem different. You look really good, healthy I mean." Sakura smiled and shrugged.

"The sand in Suna exfoliates your skin so well." Iruka laughed and they continued on inside. The secretary looked up and noticed Sakura the moment she walked in the doors. Sakura said goodbye to Iruka and walked over to the bewildered secretary with a smile.

"Hey Kiko can you see if exam room 316 is open? I have something I need to test." She nodded and checked over some clipboards.

"Exam room 316 is open and is not scheduled to be used today. I can reserve it for you if you'd like." Sakura nodded.

"Thank you Kiko. Send an announcement to the staff I would like to see them all again before I leave." Kiko nodded and started writing again as Sakura walked away.

Sakura was oddly happy to be in Konoha's familiar hospital. This was a place where she had spent many nights and days up to her elbows in blood and usually saving someone's life. She had walked these halls a million times and the pictures on the walls were all familiar to her.

This is why she so abruptly stopped in front of the children's ward that she helped decorate and design when she was still only a student under Tsunade's care. A huge collage decorated the wall to the children's area that she knew was not there when she had left. She was amazed to see that she was the subject matter in every picture. Her hand went up to her mouth and she froze, taking in the collage before her.

There were pictures of her nursing patients and smiling with them along with pictures of her next to children's bedsides and in the play area reading them stories while they sat on her lap. There were others of her coming out of surgery with an exhausted smile on her face or hugging a patient as they smiled at her. There were even a few of her passed out on a couch in the nurse's lounge or fast asleep next to a young patient whose parents could not stay with them.

There were a few of her in the nursery and shaking hands with various diplomats and medical officials including quite a few of her and Tsunade side-by-side as they walked down the hall or as they examined things.

She knew that most of these pictures were taken by other doctors and nurses or patients that wanted a picture with her and the ones of herself and Tsunade had been taken by Shizune at one point or another.

There was one picture in the middle of her in her Jonin vest and medical outfit smiling next to Tsunade that was taken after she passed the Jonin exams. A few other pictures showed her bloody and bruised but smiling triumphantly as she returned from a high-class mission. In two of them Naruto was hanging on her side, his blue eyes shut as he laughed with her, looking just as battered as she was.

There was one large framed picture in the middle of the collage of her in her white lab coat looking over her shoulder as she walked giving the camera a peace sign with her tongue sticking out and one green eye closed. Under it, there was a plaque with the words: "Kaze-hime Sabaku no Sakura; formerly Sakura Haruno; Konoha's prized medic and adopted daughter of the fifth Hokage Tsunade Senju. She has saved countless lives and left a huge impact on the hearts of all in Konoha. We owe her so much. To Konoha Hospital's own pink haired medic; we will never forget you Sakura." To the left of this was a picture that was taken at her first wedding in Konoha with her standing next to Gaara with a huge smile on her face as she held his arm and looked up at him and he at her. Under it was a picture of her at her second wedding in Suna holding her head high as she stood next to him as the new Kaze-hime.

This all brought tears to her eyes and she smiled wiping them away and continuing down the hall to the exam room. As soon as she entered she made sure to lock the door behind her. With a sigh she set down her tomatoes and set about finding the right equipment.

With any luck she would have an answer soon.

End of Chapter 6


	7. Chapter 7

This chapter is dedicated to FreeSkittles

Chapter 7

Sakura walked over to the machine in the room used to test blood and entered the needed information about herself before setting it to run a hCG test. The test would be fast and tell her what she needed to know by scanning her blood for the hormone.

Out of the cabinet came a syringe and a needle along with an alcohol swab. She swabbed her arm above the vein and stuck the syringe in pulling up on it and drawing blood into the chamber until it was full. Her chakra sealed the puncture wound immediately as she detached the needle and threw it into the hazardous material bin on the wall.

She took the vial of blood and placed it in the machine, letting it begin its scan.

 _"Now I wait."_ She sighed, leaning back in her chair and staring up at the ceiling. It wouldn't do her any good to worry now. The machine whirred next to her for the next fifteen minutes before beeping loudly. Sakura's heart jumped into her throat at the sound, an unusual reaction that showed just how nervous she really was.

Sakura picked up the vial and set it next to her on the table as the machine scanned the results, categorizing them and listing them in order before printing them off on two sheets of paper.

Sakura walked over and picked the pages up, paper clipping them and putting them in the bag next to her tomatoes before picking up the blood and tossing it into the hazardous materials bin as well. She then picked up her shopping bag and walked out of the room, never once looking at the paper.

 ** _"Well aren't you going to look?"_** Inner pestered her as Sakura inwardly shook her head.

 _"I don't want to look until I get home ok?"_ Inner sighed but gave up as Sakura turned down the hall to the conference room where she knew the doctors and nurses would be waiting to say hello to her. She took a deep breath and opened the door to see the room packed full of people sitting or leaning against things and generally just talking to each other casually. They all stopped and began clapping as Sakura walked in and set her bag down on the couch nearest to her. She couldn't help but smile at their welcome, waving them down with one hand until they all were quiet.

"I'm so glad to see you all again." A few people who had known her well chuckled at this as she began to make her way through the people; saying hello to each person, talking to those she was close with and making small talk with those she did not really know.

A few left to go deal with things but most stayed and chatted with her until they had to go off their break. The last few who stayed behind were those who had gotten along with Sakura the best during her time at the hospital and were all medical shinobi. They sat down on the couches with Sakura, content to chat idly like old times.

"Man isn't this a familiar scene we've all missed. It really has been different without you." One of the doctors chimed in. Sakura smirked and shook her head.

"Yeah it seems like only yesterday I was running in here telling you to get up and get down to surgery." He laughed at her jab as the other doctor set down his coffee.

"So how is it in Suna?" Sakura shrugged.

"It's nice in some ways. I love working at the hospital but it is a bit unfamiliar still. It will take some getting used to but it is shaping up nicely. It was a total wreck when I got there though. Seriously, I know Konoha is the best around but Suna was just awful." She shook her head again at the thought and then gave a noncommittal shrug. "The injuries tend to be the same though." The man to her left made a noise of agreement as the others laughed.

"Broken bones and scrapes are universal I suppose. But I highly doubt you've had to treat anyone for poison ivy." Sakura shook her head.

"I have had a few scorpion bites though." She pointed out as the man chuckled again and settled back on the couches.

"Sorry if I overstep a boundary but I'm a little bit curious. What's with the result papers in your bag?" One of the others asked, pointing to the papers tucked into her bag of tomatoes.

"Ah well I wanted to test something while I was here. It wasn't urgent but it was something I was curious about." The doctor nodded, realizing that whatever it was, it was probably beyond his clearance level. Sakura was glad he didn't press for more details, she didn't want to ruin the happy mood.

"Well I've got to get going; my shift's going to start again soon. It is always good to see you Sakura-san." He smiled and shook Sakura's hand before leaving the room. The other two did the same and waved a happy goodbye to her.

Sakura picked up her bag and sighed before walking out of the room and down the halls to the front of the hospital. She exited into the warm air and began her walk towards Shikamaru's parent's house. A few people waved to her in town but none stopped her to chat and for this, she was grateful.

Finally, she reached his parent's house and walked up the path to his front door. She knocked and heard his mother call her in.

"Sakura, good to see you! The Kaze- I mean Gaara-sama said you would be coming. We'll have to sit in the living room; the boys are in the shoji room talking with Shikaku." Sakura nodded and took off her shoes before following Yoshino into the living room as she shut the sliding door. "Now have a seat and I'll get some tea. Then we can talk." Sakura nodded and thanked her, setting her bag down next to the couch as she sat down.

Yoshino returned with the tea and some cookies, setting them on the table and pouring Sakura a cup before relaxing on the couch. The usually serious and strict woman always seemed to be friendly to Sakura and had long since gained Sakura's respect. "So Sakura what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Sakura set down her tea after taking a sip.

She would have been surprised that the Nara woman knew she wanted to talk about something but this was Shikamaru's mother. If anyone could weasel information out of her son it was her. Shikamaru most likely omitted nearly everything aside from a suggestion that she talk to Sakura herself. Sakura had been in the position before and had found that talking to Yoshino sometimes alleviated her problems. She had a level head like Shikamaru and was as hardheaded as Sakura herself. She usually knew what to do in situations and Sakura had often confided in her about domestic matters such as cooking and the like. She made a mean mango chutney recipe that Sakura simply adored.

"Yoshino-san I have a problem that I don't know how to approach. I've already asked Shikamaru but I think I need some advice that he can't offer me." Yoshino nodded, most likely having heard the same speech from her son.

"Is it a problem with your marriage? You are both all right aren't you?" Her eyes searched Sakura's features as Sakura immediately shook her head.

"No, no everything there is completely fine! I honestly couldn't be happier with married life." She smiled as she saw Yoshino visibly relax and nod. She could tell that the woman had been prepared to bust heads if necessary and she couldn't help but feel touched by her concern.

"So if it's not marriage then what is it?" Her brown eyes locked onto Sakura's as she took another sip of her tea. Sakura dropped her gaze to the bag next to her as she absentmindedly rubbed her hands together.

"It's a mistake I think I've made." She reached down and pulled out the papers from her bag, catching Yoshino's attention. "I am usually so set in my schedule I do things without thinking sometimes. Some things in the medical field were such a routine for me that I never thought about them. Especially when it came to myself. But with the move and my marriage and adjusting to everything, I changed my schedule and I forgot – I forgot some important things." Her voice dropped to a softer tone as her hands gripped the paper just a little bit tighter.

Yoshino glanced at Sakura and set down her teacup, leaning towards the girl and catching her gaze.

"You haven't done anything wrong medically have you?" She watched Sakura shake her head as she knew that Yoshino was eluding to her losing a patient or something similar. She knew Yoshino had seen her upset about that once before and it was a logical conclusion to jump to. Steeling herself for the words she was about to say, Sakura took a deep breath and stared down at her tea.

"Yoshino I think I forgot to schedule my contraceptive injections." She heard Yoshino's sharp intake of breath and knew that the woman was already running through the same scenarios and questions Sakura had originally thought of.

"Are you sure?" Her voice had softened as she looked at the girl in front of her. To Yoshino, Sakura didn't look like herself. Where was the strong woman she had heard Shikamaru speak of?

Sakura nodded. "I'm nearly positive." She whispered. Yoshino leaned back a bit and sighed, brown eyes meeting green as Sakura finally looked up from where she was attempting to burn a hole into the table with her gaze.

"Then are you pregnant?"

"I did the test today but I haven't looked yet… I think I might be." Yoshino nodded and stood up without another word, walking to sit next to Sakura.

"If you are ok with it, we can look together and then decide what to do from there." She didn't say anything more but Sakura knew what she must be thinking as it was the same mantra that had been running through her head since she had talked to Shikamaru. She was young, she was newly married to a husband who had never considered marriage, much less having children, she was a kunoichi, and she was, of all stupid things, afraid.

Yoshino's hands extracted the papers from Sakura's grip as the latter released the hold she hadn't noticed she had tightened. The brown haired woman gave her another glance before opening the papers and laying them out on the table.

 _Registered Medical Shinobi_

 _Name: Sakura Haruno_

 _Age: 21_

 _Birth Date: March 28th_

 _Blood Type: O_

Sakura's eyes scanned through the numbers and chemical abbreviations on the page, barely registering what she saw before her eyes landed on the numbers she was looking for. Her heart dropped into her sandals at the numbers before her as her head began to spin.

Yoshino noticed her reaction and immediately picked up the teacup, holding it up to Sakura's lips. "Drink this and lie back, then we'll talk. I don't like it when top medics go as pale as a sheet in my house." Sakura sipped the drink slowly as Yoshino's hands steadied her own.

There was much more on the pages but what she needed was there in plain sight. The tests confirmed what she was not prepared to see, what she did not want to see. Sakura steadied herself and forced herself to calm enough to talk before setting the tea back down on the table.

Yoshino's stern brown-eyed gaze had not left Sakura's face and now it was impossible for her to ignore. "I wasn't prepared for this, how could I be so stupid? I'm a medic…" She murmured, immediately recoiling at the sound of her own voice. It was a foreign, weak, and trembling thing that Sakura didn't recognize or like. It reminded her painfully of the girl she had once been, and tried so hard to change.

Yoshino merely nodded and let out a deep breath. "You have options." Sakura's green eyes grew wide as her head whipped to stare at Yoshino. The woman met her stare head on with her mouth set in a thin line.

"I don't have an option… I already know that I couldn't do that." Sakura's voice dropped to a whisper as she admitted what she had long known.

Sakura had never once thought less of any woman who had come to her after they had had an abortion or before they had one. She had been a constant source of support as these women had their reasons and they were doing it because they knew that they could not raise a child, or simply did not want children.

Sakura knew that she could have an abortion herself and had taken an oath long ago that if something happened and a pregnancy jeopardized her health, her lifestyle, Konoha, or anyone around her, she would not hesitate to terminate it. However, this was different. She was in love, she had a husband, a job that did not require her to be in active service all the time, and she had the means to care for a child.

"Are you sure Sakura? You are young and you have a lifestyle that doesn't often accommodate kids. Most kunoichi stop working when they have children." She gave Sakura what could only be described as a knowing look as Sakura shook her head.

"You're right, but I couldn't do it. I already know that I can care for a child and I have the means to do so. My position allows me to be out of active service indefinitely as I am the head director of the hospital. I could still work and raise a child and I have the chance to still return to active service after the birth." Something in her voice was mechanical, as if she wasn't really there, wasn't really in the room. Her green eyes met Yoshino's as the older woman realized that Sakura was serious and that she had made up her mind on the matter. They both had seen many kunoichi give birth and later return to service, though most had less missions or were often given guard patrols and Yoshino knew that Sakura would most likely be able to do so with ease.

With a nod, Yoshino laid a hand on Sakura's arm and gave her a soft smile.

"Not many women are as brave as you Sakura. Now the question is, when are you going to tell your husband and the boys? This is a bigger deal than if you were just a pregnant kunoichi." Sakura sighed and leaned back on the couch. The situation had finally begun to sink in and her decision was now painfully real to her. What would she tell Gaara? Was he going to be ok with this? Did he even want children? What was she going to do now? How could she have been so stupid in her position!? Sakura took a steadying breath and shook her head.

"I have time. I'm not having any noticeable symptoms and I don't want to stress anyone out – I don't know how they will react. This is too sensitive…How did you tell your husband?" Sakura's derailment of her thoughts was a coping mechanism that Yoshino was smart enough to recognize, but she took the change of subject with ease and let out a scoff at her question.

"Well that lazy man was griping about his missions as usual. I had been getting sick for a long time and actually I'd known about it for about three months. I was just starting to show and I was planning on telling him over dinner. Of course he complained that he was tired and was going to get some rest. Well I guess my hormones kicked in and I threw him into a chair and told him we were going to have a nice sit down dinner. That insufferable man simply rolled his eyes and decided not to pay attention to me as he ate. Eventually he asked why we were having a fancy dinner since I usually just made something simple. I told him I had something to tell him and he just casually nodded not really paying attention." Yoshino's eyes closed for a moment as she scowled.

"I snapped. I stood up and walked over to him grabbing him by his ponytail before screaming that I was pregnant. Well, he looked at me wide eyed and I let go of his hair. Then he did what most men do – he passed out on the floor and I had to drag him to the couch and wait until he woke up. You should have seen his face. It was like I had told him the Akatsuki was at our doorstep asking to borrow a cup of sugar." Sakura smiled despite her inner turmoil as Yoshino shook her head and let her face relax slightly.

"I don't really know how Gaara will react. This is way, way more than he ever bargained for. Marriage was such an improbable, impossible step for him, how will he handle this?" She gestured vaguely to the papers on the table as Yoshino took in her melancholy expression and sighed.

"I know it's hardly comparable given the background on you both, but I had the same fears about telling Shikaku. He wasn't exactly keen on marriage, probably wouldn't have married if he wasn't the clan heir and if I hadn't practically roped him into it, and I knew he would have huge reservations about being a father. But look at how Shikamaru turned out, obviously he inherited and learned something from his lazy ass of a father aside from his incurable lethargy." She gave Sakura a small smile that the pink haired girl couldn't help but return. She knew that Yoshino was most likely right but Gaara was a special case.

The two women didn't say anything for a moment and as Sakura was about to ask something more, footsteps and voices were heard moving down the hallway. Sakura immediately slipped the papers back into her bag as Yoshino gave her arm a small squeeze. Steeling her expression the best way she could, Sakura stuffed her fears deep into her mind and settled on ignoring everything about them for the time being, for everyone's sake.

Shikamaru, Gaara, and Shikaku appeared around the corner, all having obviously been deep in discussion. "I'm planning on making dinner tonight and it's getting late. Thank you for having us over and we will see you tomorrow Shika." Sakura quipped, rather loudly, as Yoshino nodded to her as if they had been having a lovely discussion and that was the natural conclusion. Shikamaru gave his mother a sideways glance before turning his gaze to Sakura.

Sakura gave him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes as Gaara obliviously said his goodbyes to the family and thanked Shikaku for his conversation. The pair then left and began the walk back to Sakura's house. Gaara watched his wife for a while before speaking.

"Did you have a good day?"

"An unexpected one." He nodded as they fell back into a comfortable silence until they were at her doorstep.

Sakura took off her coat and put it on the peg near the door as they entered her house. Her hands lingered on it for a moment as she absentmindedly wondered how things could have possibly changed so quickly.

The rest of the night passed with little conversation as both Sakura and Gaara were deep in thought about separate matters. Gaara mentioned off-handedly over dinner that he was thinking over propositions posed by Shikaku on strategy to which Sakura merely nodded, understanding that Gaara was not one to generally initiate conversations. The pair cleaned up and prepared for bed without really thinking, both knowing they would want to wake up earlier the next morning. Sakura said goodnight to Gaara as he gave her one of his rare smiles and let her slip comfortably to lie against his side.

Soon Sakura had drifted off to sleep while Gaara lay quietly thinking beside her.

 ** _"I was right you are knocked up!"_** _A taunting voice called to Sakura as she immediately scowled._

 _"Don't put it like that! It makes it sound like I'm some unmarried kid whose boyfriend got her pregnant!" Inner waved her off as Sakura glared._

 _"So, we're gonna be a mother! You've got a little Gaara in there!" Inner cooed poking at Sakura's flat stomach. She batted off Inner's hand with a scowl._

 _"This isn't a joke Inner, you know as well as I that this is a serious issue and that it is very early to have this happen. Aside from that, I still have no idea how far along I am which means someone is going to have to do an ultrasound on me sometime soon and I really don't want to do it myself." Inner nodded, finally seeming to regard Sakura with a sense of seriousness._

 ** _"You know you could tell the technician to keep it a secret from him and everyone else under some severe punishment. You have enough power over them not to mention you can be scary as hell."_** _Sakura laughed._

 _"Look who's talking." Inner grinned._

 ** _"I try my best."_** _Sakura sighed just as her mind registered a loud annoying beep bringing her back to the world of reality._

"Oh just shut it up!" She groaned, leaning over and hitting the offending alarm clock making it stop its incessant beeping. Gaara, who had been rudely awakened out of his light sleep, gave the clock his own scathing glare as Sakura rolled over and sighed.

"We need to meet Shikamaru by the gates in a few minutes." Gaara stated off-handedly, as Sakura nodded.

"Yeah I'll get ready, hold on." She groggily stepped out of bed and walked to the bathroom downing a pill as she was beginning to feel nauseous. _"How lovely I find out I'm pregnant, say I have no symptoms and then I begin to feel them. Praise the power of suggestion."_ Sakura's mood was still slightly sour as she walked back to the room after brushing her hair and teeth. She then changed into her standard black pants, medic skirt, top, arm guards, and tied her hetai-ate in her hair.

Gaara had gotten ready as well and stood holding her packs with his regular crimson outfit and gourd strapped to his back. Sakura took the packs and attached them to her waist along with her weapons pouch on her leg and the small backpack full of scrolls with their supplies on her back. She sighed and looked at Gaara who had registered her negative mood.

"Are you ready to go?" She gave him a smile and nodded as the two locked up the house and left.

They walked through Konoha to the gates where Shikamaru already stood waiting.

"You ready Shikamaru?" Sakura asked with a cheerful tone. He gave a slight grunt and nodded. The trio set off, checking in with Kotetsu who promised to relay their departure to Tsunade. Gaara motioned with a hand in the air to someone Sakura couldn't see. She knew it was the ANBU who accompanied them nearly everywhere but it still unnerved her that she had never actually seen them.

The sun was just starting to come up as they passed through the gates and the morning still held the chill of the night. Sakura could hear birds waking up and things moving about as they came to the forest and made their way into the trees. Once inside the forest they jumped up into the branches, traveling across them as usual at a fast clip. The dew made it slightly slippery and Sakura found herself unconsciously focusing her chakra so she would not slip and fall.

None of them talked as they ran, making good time through the forest as the day wore on. Soon they stopped for lunch on a large limb of a tree. On a mission, lunch was often a luxury and most times groups were running much too fast to bother to stop. A shinobi learned not to be hungry when the situation called for it.

"Here I have the supplies." Sakura pulled out a scroll and handed it to Gaara who opened it. He handed them onigiri and rice cakes that they ate in silence, listening to the wind moving the leaves across the treetops. The group stood from their crouched positions as they finished, placing the scroll back into Sakura's bag before falling back into position. Shikamaru nodded and they started again, running along the trees and growing ever closer to Suna.

Eventually, Sakura started a conversation. "So how are you planning to propose to Temari?" She asked as Shikamaru shot her a look that told her she had found a great topic to bother him with.

"I don't know, I'm not exactly a romantic, it's too troublesome. I guess I'll take her to an overlook or something and do it there. The whole romantic dinner thing is such a drag." Sakura laughed and then smiled the first genuine smile of the day.

"There's some overlooks of the city towards the back wall. It's beautiful at night. You should take her there." Shikamaru looked at her and nodded.

"It'd make it easier." Sakura grinned and continued on, glancing at Gaara from time to time, taking in his form as he ran as a means of keeping her from her thoughts. He was certainly not bad to look at.

As he had gotten older, he had become handsome in his own way. This fact alone would probably have gained him a suitably large fan-base in his younger years had circumstances been different. As it was now, he did have a large fan-base due to his status and his power.

Sakura could care less about such things. She liked the way his red hair contrasted with his turquoise eyes and how they were so deeply offset by the black. She liked the kanji on his head despite the fact that she knew it haunted him sometimes. His form was lean, proving that he had a history of sleep-deprivation and possible malnourishment but his muscles were still defined and toned but not bulky or huge. He was a uniquely handsome man that had completely changed his character over time and acquaintance to Naruto.

Sakura's gaze was soon diverted as she felt Shikamaru staring at her from his place to the right and slightly behind her. Internally she was nearly sure that he was calculating something in his head that most likely had to do with her.

 ** _"You're going to at least tell him soon right?"_** Inner probed. Sakura nodded inwardly and Inner backed off. She didn't want to tell him but frustratingly conceded that the genius probably was already drawing an accurate conclusion in his mind. At least he could keep it a secret for a while.

They continued to run until it began to get dark when Gaara began to slow as Sakura jumped up to his side.

"We'll stop here and get some rest." Gaara's voice broke Sakura out of her thoughts. They had stopped, spread out across three trees as the forest was already becoming very dark.

"I'll find some firewood. Gaara you can get the tents out." Shikamaru suggested. Gaara nodded as Sakura stood up from her spot leaning against a tree.

"I'll help Shikamaru get the firewood; we'll need plenty to keep warm tonight." Gaara looked at her with a small smile as she yawned a little.

"I'm glad we stopped, you look tired." He said simply and Sakura stared at him slightly. Shikamaru sighed and nodded to Gaara as he noticed Sakura's gaze.

"We'd better get the firewood soon it's getting colder." He started walking with Sakura falling into step close behind. They moved away from where Gaara was setting up camp before beginning to gather branches.

Shikamaru said nothing as he worked in the dim light, looking for branches and kindling on the forest floor. Sakura moved near him as well, their breathing and movements breaking the stillness of the forest. "So you let my mom in on your situation huh?" He whispered simply, causing Sakura to immediately freeze.

"She's the only one I knew could keep a secret. Besides, I don't want to put stress on anyone yet. You know how overboard they can go when it comes to me. I don't want that yet. Besides, I don't know anything myself." She sighed and continued to gather branches. Shikamaru looked at her with a stern gaze, holding a large bundle of wood in his arms.

"I agree with you. Just know that I will be keeping an eye on you as well." Sakura rolled her eyes and nudged his arm.

"I can handle myself Shikamaru, you should know that." She met his gaze as he nodded. Sakura huffed; knowing that his tendency to be a bit of a chauvinist would mean he would indeed be keeping an eye on her.

Sakura put the firewood down as they reached the campsite and walked over to Gaara who was setting up two small tents. He smiled at her and let her help him as Shikamaru got the fire started. Its warmth soon filled the small clearing and brought a peaceful light to the three friends as they sat down on a log that Gaara had drug over to the fire.

Sakura had pulled out the bento she had packed and handed them to Shikamaru and Gaara. They ate them quietly, enjoying the sound of the crackling fire and the wind in the trees above them. Sakura soon yawned and leaned against Gaara's shoulder as he finished his meal. He smiled at her and put his arm around her shoulders letting her lean against him. Shikamaru watched the silent exchange.

"You know she's changed a lot since she married you Gaara." The redhead turned to Shikamaru and nodded.

"So have I Shikamaru. I have no doubt in my mind that you'll change too. In a way it's true what they say that being in love changes people. I know it did for me; I have never been so protective of anyone in my life. But beyond that, I think it's knowing that I have someone who will stand by me no matter what and that I can come home at night and have someone there waiting for me. It's a very strong bond." Shikamaru looked at Gaara with one eyebrow cocked slightly on his face.

"Why do I get the feeling you read that somewhere?" Gaara smiled a little.

"Sakura leaves her books around a lot. I only got the idea from the book, the words are my own." Shikamaru continued to scrutinize him and Gaara conceded. "Most of them are mine." Shikamaru shook his head as he prodded the fire with a stick. Sakura had fallen asleep on Gaara's shoulder and was oblivious to the words being said between the two men. They talked for a while longer about politics and the possibility that the rogues were actually planning something again before deciding to retire to their tents.

"You should get her to bed, she seems cold." Shikamaru mentioned, motioning to Sakura who was still sleeping soundly. Gaara nodded and carefully stood, picking her up in his arms.

"Goodnight Shikamaru." He nodded and walked to his tent as Gaara moved to theirs, setting Sakura in the sleeping bag that lay inside. He took off her shoes and packs setting them near the sleeping bag before taking off his gourd and coat along with his own shoes. He crawled into the sleeping bag and wrapped his arms around Sakura carefully before zipping it and closing his eyes.

The soft noise of footsteps outside of the tent caused the redheaded Kazekage inside to shift in his sleep and quickly wake up. The forest had long been awake itself, the birds already singing and chattering high above the small encampment made by the traveling shinobi.

Gaara blinked in the dim light of the morning, feeling the damp air around him and taking a deep breath of the musty scent of Earth and the fresh scent of dew the forest now held. The woman in his arms still slept peacefully but it was still very early in the day.

Gaara sat up slowly, so as not to wake her, and looked out of the slit in the tent fabric to see Shikamaru near the fire getting it started again presumably to cook breakfast. Gaara looked over at Sakura and saw that she was still asleep. He didn't want to wake her yet so he carefully slipped out of the sleeping bag covering her back up to keep her warm. He then put on his coat and shoes before putting on his vest and grabbing his gourd, bringing it outside the tent.

"Morning, is Sakura still asleep?" Gaara nodded and Shikamaru gave the tent a small glance, picking up a small pan and a few eggs that Sakura had packed in the scroll.

"I'll get out some fruit as well." Gaara said as he picked up the scroll containing the food. He opened it and picked up a few fruits noticing that there were a few unmarked pills in a bag with Sakura's name on it. "Shikamaru have you seen Sakura take any pills lately? These seem to be new." Shikamaru turned and looked at the bag in Gaara's hand before waving it off.

"Those might be soldier pills or food pills she picked up at the hospital just in case something happened on the trip." Gaara nodded and put them down while Shikamaru continued to cook the eggs. Inside the tent, Sakura began to stir, smelling the smoke from the fire and the scent of eggs cooking. She blinked upon hearing voices and looked out of the tent to see Shikamaru bent over the fire with a pan and Gaara sitting on the log nearby.

She smiled and stretched in the sleeping bag, deciding to walk to the stream nearby to wash up before breakfast. She put on her shoes and grabbed her weapons pouch before fixing her hair with a brush by looking in the small mirror she always carried with her. Once she deemed herself acceptable, she stepped out of the tent, attracting the attention of the two boys.

"Good morning Gaara, Shikamaru. I think I'll go wash up at the stream before breakfast I'll be right back." Gaara nodded, watching as she left to go to the stream.

Sakura walked through the forest happily taking in the familiar scent of evergreens and dew as she approached the stream. The water was fresh and clear and had a calming sound to it as it flowed across the rocks. It wasn't very deep or very wide, had she stepped in, the water would have come up to about her ankles. Sakura knelt next to the bank and dipped her hands in the water, splashing it onto her face and letting the cold shock of it wake her up a little more. She still felt drowsy and a little lethargic but the chill of the morning and the frigid water had woken her up a little bit. She shivered slightly as she wiped the water off her face and stood up from her position next to the stream.

The sun was not yet over the horizon and it was still rather dark out. Sakura did not notice this immediately, having already unconsciously moved some chakra to her eyes to help her see better in the morning haze of the forest. She stretched again and sighed into the crisp air, smiling as she turned around to head back to their camp, her troubles forgotten in the new morning.

Gaara looked up as Sakura walked back into the campsite now looking a little bit more awake and refreshed than she had previously been. He handed her a plate of eggs and a banana as she sat down on the log. "Did you sleep well Sakura?"

"I was so tired last night. I slept like a rock!" She smiled and began to eat the eggs complimenting Shikamaru on their taste. He waved it off.

"They're eggs. They are pretty hard to mess up." She laughed and finished them up before moving on to the banana. Gaara watched her as she finished that as well and stood to put the plate back in the scroll. They soon stood and started to pack up the camp eliminating any traces that they were there. Shikamaru placed everything back in the scrolls and Sakura put the pack on her back before getting ready to leave. Once they were sure everything was accounted for they jumped up into the trees and began to move towards Suna once again.

Sakura enjoyed jumping through the trees and feeling the wind on her face and hair as she pushed chakra into her legs. The smell of evergreen and leaves was stronger up in the trees and she loved it. It always reminded her of patrol routes and missions with Team Seven and Team Kakashi. Both memories invigorated her.

They continued until the sun was high in the sky and the air began to get slightly warmer. They still had another day of running but were making excellent time. When they stopped for lunch, Sakura commented on this and Shikamaru nodded.

"I think we will be there sooner than we expected at this rate." They ate their lunch quickly and went back to running soon after. That night they did the same as the night before, eating dinner after setting up the camp and creating a small fire. The group lounged about the campfire talking idly until they became tired and retired to their tents. The next morning they woke early and ate a quick breakfast before continuing running in the tall grasslands they had now entered.

By late morning, it was decidedly warmer and the trio felt the sun becoming stronger as they approached the desert. Around noon, they crossed out of the sparse plains and into the desert sands. The desert was always much harder to travel across with the heat of the sun, the wind, and the sand whipping up around them. They ran through this as well, slowing their pace only for water and a small rest. To add to the misery of having to run across the unforgiving landscape, they were now all covered in a thin layer of grime that had accumulated throughout the day despite the fact that Sakura and Shikamaru had dawned traveling cloaks.

It had begun to grow dark as the temperature rapidly dropped and Sakura felt both filthy and fatigued. They pressed on however, seeing large cliffs in the distance and knowing that it was Suna and that they were almost home. Shikamaru seemed to become a bit more alert and Gaara noticed Sakura was slightly dragging behind.

Immediately he fell back to match her strides, causing her to look up at him from behind a veil of windblown pink hair.

"Sakura do you need us to slow down?" Her green eyes squinted up at him as they continued to move across the landscape.

"No, I'm fine, keep the pace going." She called, immediately pushing her stride further. He nodded but kept an eye on her as they walked through the sand towards the structure that had begun to loom out of the darkening desert.

Sakura was frustrated at herself for showing such a sign of weakness. She was a kunoichi who had traveled this terrain without problem time and time again. She knew the fatigue was most likely a result of her recent revelations screwing with her perfect chakra control and with that vexing thought in mind; she pushed on, using more effort to keep the pace.

As sand particles whipped around them a few managed to find their way into her face, her vision blurred a little as she pushed through the storm and suddenly found a tanned hand grasping her arm. She looked at Shikamaru who was staring at her with a worried expression. "There's sand in my eyes Shikamaru, let go." She argued as he shook his head, towing her forwards to Gaara who had seen what had happened.

Sakura knew she could pummel Shikamaru into the ground for what he was doing but she also knew that she was tired, grimy, and just wanted to get home.

"Sakura let me carry you and we'll get there faster." Gaara had barely spoken this before Sakura found herself scooped up into his arms as they set off once more. Sakura, who was feeling very much like a sack of flour being passed along, remarked on the subject in a very terse tone only to find that her complaints were falling on deaf ears. Deciding that it was a lost cause, she resigned herself to crossing her arms and letting her head rest against Gaara's chest with a frown present on her features.

He watched as she closed her eyes and then gave Shikamaru a troubled glance.

"It's alright Gaara she's just tired." Shikamaru held his gaze for a moment, hoping his words had done enough to pacify the red headed man. Sakura, who had heard the one-sided conversation, mumbled something about 'sand being a pain' as the two kept walking towards the gates of Suna.

The guards at the post had been notified only hours before of the imminent arrival of the Kazekage envoy and had jumped into action as the group had come into their line of sight. The initial confusion was that they could not see a third figure. This confusion soon grew into slight panic, as one of the guards was able to make out a figure being carried by their Kazekage. The guards had immediately run out to meet the envoy as they approached the city.

"Kazekage-sama! Is the Kazehime hurt? We'll get a medic immediately!" Gaara stopped the worried shinobi that had run out to greet them with a wave of his hand. Sakura, who had been lulled into a light meditative state, stirred at the noise and would have torn them a new one had Gaara not silenced them with a raised hand.

"She is fine." The shinobi seemed suitably surprised with this knowledge but let Gaara continue on his way without further protest. The trio continued down the dimly lit streets, keeping mostly out of sight as they neared their residence. Soon they were at their house and were immediately greeted by an uncharacteristically disturbed Temari who had come running outside.

"Gaara what happened?!" He stopped her just as Sakura opened her eyes and blinked up at them both. Temari stood stock still as Sakura smiled up at her sister-in-law.

"-mari it's good to see you. Sorry I'm just a bit tired. Gaara you can put me down now." She yawned and tapped his chest lightly with two knuckles to signal that he was to let her down. He did so without protest as Sakura straightened and hugged Temari. The blonde seemed to have calmed and hugged her back threatening her with a warm bath to 'take off that awful grime.' Sakura had nodded and smiled before moving past her and into the house.

Gaara gave his sister a look as she hugged him as well and then moved to follow his wife, leaving Temari and Shikamaru alone.

"It's good to see you Shikamaru. But what brings you to Suna?" She asked as the lazy shinobi shifted his stance slightly.

"Let's take a walk, all that travel was troublesome and I could do with a relaxing talk." She quirked a brow at his response but followed him down the path without further comment.

Inside Sakura had stripped, showered, and changed into her clothes before crawling into bed with a blissful sigh at the feeling of a soft mattress. A suitably clean Gaara followed her minutes later and pulled his exhausted wife into his chest. He knew that this would be one of the few nights that he would truly sleep well.

End of Chapter 7


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Sakura opened her eyes to the sudden feeling of nausea early the next morning. She sat up in bed quickly, noticing that the sun had not yet risen outside and Gaara was still sound asleep in bed next to her. She stood without waking him, a feat that was nearly impossible, and rushed out of the room and down the hall to the guest room bathroom. She carefully shut the door, as quietly as she could in her haste, before bolting to the toilet and effectively emptying her stomach. She clutched the sides of the seat in a tight grip, retching into the bowl until she was sure there was nothing left for her to expel from her body.

She was shaking and felt horrible, recalling with sudden clarity a mission where she had obtained food poisoning thanks to rancid meat in ramen cooked by Naruto. She groaned slightly, reaching up and flushing the toilet before forcing herself to stand and walk to the sink. She avoided looking in the mirror as she filled a cup with water and began to rinse her mouth out, already healing her throat of the burning sensation and soothing her stomach. Once she finished, she used a disposable toothbrush she found in the drawer and some toothpaste to brush her teeth and tongue to rid herself of the vile taste left behind.

 ** _"Ugh you forgot to take the anti-nausea pills last night."_** Inner commented bitterly. Sakura groaned and scowled.

 _"I realize that."_ She thought sarcastically. She really didn't need Inner's comments now. She reached in her pocket and pulled out said nausea pill, swallowing it with a glass of water before fixing herself in the mirror as best as she could. Sakura sighed and ran her hand through her pink hair thinking about how she was going to get someone to do an ultrasound for her and whom she could really trust. Immediately a nice nurse she had befriended when she first came to the hospital popped into her head. _"Mari, I remember reading her records saying she used to be an ultrasound technician."_

 ** _"She'd help you if you needed it. But you know the baby might be nearly three months along already. We were married about three months ago. And then there was the first night, the bath, the couch, the honeymoon…"_**

 _"Ok, ok I get it!"_ Sakura thought blushing. She looked at herself in the mirror and gasped seeing that she had bags under her eyes and her hair was in horrible disarray. She groaned and began to brush her hair, detangling it and fixing it until she looked much less haggard.

Then she got rid of the bags under her eyes with a slight bit of medical jutsu. Tsunade had once chided her for doing this, claiming that she was abusing her powers as a medic but Sakura had immediately called her a hypocrite to which the blonde merely huffed and assigned her extra work.

Once Sakura deemed herself acceptable, she walked out of the guest bathroom and back to her room looking over at the bed to make sure Gaara was still asleep. Seeing that he was, she made her way to the closet in the dark room opening it and walking inside before shutting the door silently and turning on the light. She pulled off her shorts and grabbed her usual medical outfit. She turned to leave and tripped over a shirt that had fallen onto the floor, proceeding to hit the door in the process. She immediately began to curse her klutziness, knowing that Gaara had heard her fall. She opened the closet cautiously and peaked out into the darkness only to see her husband shoot up in the bed and stare at where she was standing.

His face showed confusion and a groggy sort of look that Sakura knew was rare for him. She guiltily stepped out of the closet to stare at her husband.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" His voice was gruff as he sat up in bed and turned his full attention to her.

"Nothing's wrong, I just woke up early that's all. I was going to make breakfast and see if Shikamaru and Temari were up yet." Gaara took in this information and then slowly nodded, content with her explanation.

"I'll be down in a minute." He slid his feet off the bed as she smiled and nodded, walking out of the room with a small sigh of relief.

When she got downstairs she was met with a warm greeting coming from down the hall. "Hey little sis! You're finally up to make breakfast!" Kankuro greeted her with his usual enthusiasm, cuffing her happily on the arm as she passed him by. His hair was uncovered and he had yet to put on his face paint making him look surprisingly more human than normal.

Sakura preferred this look to his usual cat-like appearance, which she teased him about sometimes. She rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen noticing that Shikamaru was already sitting down at the table with a rather smug look on his usually stoic face. She raised an eyebrow and he merely smiled.

"It was a yes of course." He mentioned as Sakura laughed and beamed at him. Temari chuckled as she walked in, looking at Sakura with a smile.

"Oh don't act like you haven't known all along. Shika said you were the one who figured it out months ago." She gave Sakura a smile that she returned with a noncommittal shrug before turning towards the fridge and cupboards, pulling out the ingredients to make pancakes.

Temari helped her gather the ingredients as Gaara came downstairs a few moments later and off-handedly congratulated Shikamaru. After a comment about starving to death from Kankuro, and a subsequent smack with a spatula, breakfast was served by Sakura and then eaten with small talk. After breakfast they all lounged in the kitchen for a while talking idly about the trip as well as obligations for the day.

"So I'm guessing you guys have work today." Temari commented, looking at Sakura who was washing dishes that had been sitting in the sink. Gaara sat back down at the table.

"We always have work Temari. Unlike you." She shot him a look that could have been considered scathing had it not been directed at him.

Sakura, however, had stilled by the sink and was staring out the window blankly, her hands gripping a spoon and a washrag. Her thoughts were on something other than the room full of new family. Everything else had melted away from her as she remembered that she needed to get an ultrasound done and now would be her chance.

Temari looked over at her pink-haired sister who was staring out the window frozen in one spot, her face completely blank as she clutched the dishes. She creased her brow a little catching Shikamaru's notice as he then looked to where Temari's gaze was fixed. He noticed Sakura's frozen stance and knew he had to divert the attention away from her. Wanting to draw Temari's attention from Sakura before she asked what was wrong, he scraped his chair against the floor. This created enough noise that Sakura broke out of her trance-like reverie and turned her head to look at him.

"Sakura I'll do the dishes for you, I know you need to get to the hospital for work." Sakura smiled at him kindly before handing him the rag and spoon.

"Yes, thank you. Sorry, I was spacing out again thinking about work. I do need to get going. I will be home soon though then we can all spend some time together." She smiled and walked over to where Gaara now stood. Temari and Kankuro wished them goodbye as the pair left the house and entered the sandy streets.

Sakura walked along next to Gaara, both had decided to walk to the hospital and Kazekage Tower instead of transporting in order to enjoy the morning stroll through Suna. The streets were beginning to wake up and the smell of food cooking wafted in from the market streets as they passed by. The people were beginning to emerge from their houses to pick up newspapers placed on steps and in front of doors.

Some waved as they passed, a few bowed but most were still rather distant, something that struck Sakura as being very different from Konoha. A very little girl gave Sakura a flower before bringing a newspaper back to her mother who was waiting at the door giving them a smile and a wave. Once they reached the doors, they parted with Sakura squeezing his hand and leaving to enter the hospital.

After talking to the secretary, she walked through the halls greeting doctors and nurses before making her way to the ER to find Mari. She found the girl easily enough; she was busy sorting files at a desk.

"Good morning Mari. May I have a word with you? I need you to assist me in something." Mari looked up at her with a surprised and shocked gaze but quickly straightened and nodded giving her pleasant smile.

"Yes of course Sakura-sama. I'd be happy to help with anything you need." Sakura said nothing in return but beckoned her to follow and began to walk down the hall with Mari following closely behind. Once they got to her office Sakura told Mari to take a seat and then shut the door.

"Mari I need you to help me with something personal. It must be a complete secret; absolutely no one is to know about this including the Kazekage. It's a very delicate matter and I am asking you this in the strictest confidence. Should someone possibly find out I will be forced to place you on strictly intern work and have you demoted. You would be stuck teaching the interns and organizing paperwork for the rest of your medical career without hope of ever advancing. Is this understood?" Mari's eyes were wide as she nodded fervently. Sakura's demeanor had completely changed as she stood over the girl, her arms crossed and her face looking very much like the face of one very serious Godaime Hokage.

"Y-yes I understand completely. I will not breathe a word to anyone." Sakura smiled kindly at the worried girl and nodded.

"I know you won't Mari but I had to be sure. Now I say this is delicate because, well, the Kazekage needs to be kept in the dark. It may put serious stress on him and right now, I can't have that happen. It's something that can wait for a while at least. I intend to let him know when I am sure he is not having any issues regarding the safety of Suna or any other dealings. Now Mari, please don't get too excited but I need you to help me using some of your old expertise." Mari looked confused and gave her a look that told Sakura she was waiting for further explanation. "I read in your reports that you used to be an ultrasound technician and I knew you were someone I could trust…" Mari's eyes grew wide again and she broke into a huge grin before jumping up happily, her hands clasped together in joy.

"Oh Sakura-sama! Are you really going to have a baby?! Oh that's so amazing I am so happy for you and Kazekage-sama! Oh this is wonderful news! I won't tell anyone, I know this is really really important, I can get one done for you right now!" Sakura was baffled at the girl's enthusiastic reaction but was relieved to hear she had no reservations about helping her. She followed Mari out of the room and down the halls to one of the rooms that Mari slipped into before shutting and locking the door behind them.

"I really do appreciate it Mari. I'm not necessarily keen on anyone else knowing at the moment, this is serious in my profession you know." Sakura apprehensively stated as she walked over to the examination table to lie down.

Mari waved away the appreciative comment and the explanation with a chorus of "Oh Sakura-sama I am honored! You'll be fine, you're one of the best kunoichi out there you know." Sakura didn't argue or comment on this declaration of devotion but simply climbed onto the table and lifted her shirt as Mari set up the ultrasound machine. Once ready, she looked at Sakura whose emerald eyes seemed as tense as they were worried.

"Don't worry Sakura-sama it'll be fine." Sakura gave a small smile and nodded as Mari put the cool gel on her stomach before touching the probe to it. Sakura's eyes immediately moved to the screen as Mari moved it around until she found a tiny motion on the screen and the sound of a tiny heartbeat filled Sakura's ears.

Sakura felt as if her heart had stopped. There on the screen was a tiny little blob with roughly shaped arms and legs. Her hand gripped her shirt even tighter as the entire picture was revealed to her. It looked only a little like a baby at this point but she knew by the fifth month it would really start to look like one. The feeling of her heart practically jumping into her throat was a sensation Sakura didn't know how to interpret. Things had changed. The ultrasound made it real to her. This was a baby inside of _her,_ a baby that shouldn't have happened and yet, had. She didn't know what to think or what to feel other than the pit of her stomach dropping to the floor as she realized with piercing clarity, once again, exactly what her mistake had gotten her in to.

Mari, however, was in awe. Her eyes were misty with tears, which baffled Sakura as her reaction was the opposite, the emotional girl cleared her throat and spoke.

"Well from the looks of things you're almost 14 weeks along. You'll be showing soon. I mean enough to be noticeable but you already knew that." She smiled at Sakura, who had put on her so-called 'patient face' that she often used when dealing with tough situations. Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes as Mari handed her a photograph of the fetus growing inside of her.

"Mari, I really can't stress how important this is. I'm sure you know the political hoopla that will occur when word gets out and how strictly I will be under protection." Mari nodded as Sakura ran a hand through her hair.

"I'll be taken off the active duty roster immediately and should something happen I won't be able to act as a medic. The tensions after the last attack are very high and though I doubt anything will happen, I can't be sure of anything. I need, for the time being, to be able to help those in need should an attack occur. My place as head of the hospital won't be questioned when word gets out but my place as an on-call medic will. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Mari nodded again, giving Sakura a sympathetic and admiring look.

"Sakura-sama, I will of course be on your side. You always put the lives of others first and I admire that greatly. If you ever need anything, please let me know and I will gladly help." Sakura nodded and patted her shoulder as she dismissed Mari. The girl smiled at her as she left and Sakura finally was able to sigh the deep sigh she had been holding in since she had first seen the ultrasound. Things were just becoming too real.

She stood in the room for a while, staring down at the photograph with a disbelieving look before grabbing an envelope and placing the picture inside. Sakura grabbed a pen and roughly scratched the date onto the envelope before heading out of the room and up to her office.

Much to her chagrin, she was promptly greeted with a pile of paperwork sitting on her desk and a kind nurse rushing out of the room who cast an apologetic her way. Fighting the urge to dismiss the paperwork and engross herself in something else, she sat down at the desk and began furiously rushing through the pages to finish it early and spend some time with Temari.

A few hours of paperwork and two minor emergencies later and Sakura was finished with her work and could clock out. Normally she would have felt guilty leaving the hospital after only being there for a short time, but she had seen Tsunade check in for about two minutes and leave while running the Konoha hospital so she wasn't that worried. Even so she was glad to have gotten the paperwork done and very glad to see that Rai, the pale medic she had appointed to watch over things while she was gone, had taken great care of the hospital.

After saying her goodbyes to the secretary, she stepped out into the warm Suna air. The sky was clear and the winds were low meaning that, for Suna, it was a gorgeous day. As she walked down the sand covered cobblestone she felt the warmth of the sun around her and the soft sand falling lightly on her toes seem to push some of her worry, confusion and frustration away.

The smells of baked goods wafted to her nose from the market stalls and the sound of children laughing could be heard from down the street. The innocent laughter of children was something that she loved to hear. The sounds of children who had never seen war, or pain up close, whose biggest problem was a bump or a scrape, and petty quarrels over toys. It was clear to her that the civilian children were the ones that laughed the most.

The laughter of children destined to be shinobi dissipated quickly after the Academy and even then, many children of shinobi were grown up long before the end of their Academy training. Still, the laughter of any children made her smile because she knew that even when she felt the weight of her life as a kunoichi come crashing down around her, there were still those who knew nothing of hurt or pain and could grow up in sweet ignorant bliss due to her sacrifices.

The civilians were much like children as well; so naïve in their day-to-day lives. They would never have to see someone they knew die right before their eyes in a violent and bloody way or try desperately to heal someone only to have them die anyways.

Yes, Sakura liked knowing that there was still innocence in the world in the form of civilians sheltered from war and children who had yet to experience it.

Sakura was brought out of her thoughts as she realized she could hear a lot of laughter all at once. She turned her head, realizing that she was now walking next to the Sunagakure Shinobi Academy. She could see the students running about in the courtyard while their Sensei lay on a bench, his eyes closed and most likely asleep.

She smiled at this image, remembering her own lazy Sensei who would do the same thing, sleeping with his book on the bridge of his nose against a tree or simply reading his book and ignoring everyone else around him. In hindsight, she knew that often times he wasn't truly asleep, but was simply letting their little team have a bit of a break from his training.

Spurred on by nostalgic thoughts, Sakura walked into the courtyard casually smiling as she watched the boys chase each other in a game of sorts involving a ball as the girls talked and giggling at them with only a few actually joining in. Sakura set down the bag she was carrying and settled against a wall to watch the game, drawing the attention of two of the boys.

"Kazehime-sama!" One squeaked, before bowing a little as another gave her a scrutinizing and rather confused look. The boy who had bowed, elbowed his friend in the ribs, causing him to scowl at the boy and give a slight bow to Sakura. Soon, all eyes were on her and the game and laughter had come to a screeching halt.

"Kazehime-sama, what are you doing here?" A little girl with her hair in buns asked, staring at Sakura with big brown eyes. Sakura smiled and waved a hand slightly in the air as if attempting to simply brush aside the formalities.

"I heard you playing and thought I'd come and see what game it was. Also, you don't have to call me Kazehime-sama, that's just a formal title. Now, what game were you playing?" The boy who had stopped first grinned and proudly placed his hands on his hips in a move that reminded Sakura so much of Naruto it almost hurt.

"We were playing bases! It's like kickball and dodge ball but you have to have at least two people on a base to advance and there are five bases. When you get two people on a base the next kicker up kicks the ball and the people on the base have to link hands and run to the next one or continue to get a run or a higher base. If you get hit with the ball you're out though and you have to go back in line." Sakura smiled. She had played a game like this when she was a little girl and had always enjoyed it.

"It sounds like fun. I have a little bit of time so is it alright if I play as well?" The children's eyes lit up and they all soon ran over in a cluster, greeting her and smiling as the boy who had spoken to her first pulled her up next to him and stated that they were team captains.

"I'm Kinji, by the way, Sakura-sensei." Her smile grew as the term sensei sank into her mind. Oh how Naruto would pout if he had heard the boy call her that! The Academy students in Konoha still refused to call him sensei and instead referred to him mostly with less authoritative titles.

Kinji continued on to say that she would pick first as she was a lady. Sakura had nodded and looked at the large group of excited Academy students standing before her.

"I'll take the girl with the pony tail in the back." She smiled as the young girl opened her mouth in glee and rushed up next to her as Kenji picked his player. As the last kid joined Kenji's team he announced that Sakura's team would kick first.

They all decided she would be the first up to kick and cheered as she walked up to the makeshift plate happily smiling at Kenji. She kicked the ball lightly, but still managed to send it into the back of the field, as the boys scrambled to retrieve it, she ran to the plate and waited as the next child kicked and joined her.

"So we run now Sakura-sensei." The small blonde haired girl with goggles on grabbed her hand and took off running as the ball sailed past them.

They made it to the third base as the children cheered and stopped as the next child kicked. He struck out; as did the next until a boy with blonde hair came up to the plate and kicked the ball over the heads of the backfield players. Sakura and her partner ran for the home base spurred on by their teammate's cheering and the joyful shouts as they made it to home narrowly dodging the ball thrown towards them with extreme accuracy. Obviously, their Sensei had taught them something about aim.

Sakura stayed for the next two rotations until she realized that she really needed to be going. Deciding that she should probably wake their Sensei, she and the students walked over to the sleeping man, still somewhat amazed that he had slept through the ruckus. With a smile on her face, she reached out a hand and shook the man's shoulder hard, making him startle and blink up at her as the kids all laughed and giggled behind her at their Sensei's funny reaction.

The poor man was obviously very flustered at being woken up by the Kazehime when he should have been watching the children. The sat up with a jerk and immediately scrambled to attention.

"Kazehime-sama I-I'm so sorry I meant to be…" She cut him off with a large smile.

"My Sensei read Icha-Icha nonstop from the first day I met him all the way through my Chunin years while he trained my team and we turned out fine. Trust me, I understand. There was no harm done and I was greatly entertained. I may even come back some time to play again if the children would like." She said looking down at the smiling faces around her as they all cheered and begged her to come back.

Their Sensei bowed to her in gratitude and turned to the children, ushering them away from Sakura as he told them they needed to say goodbye and thank you to their Kazehime. The children did so with great enthusiasm as Sakura beamed at them all and gathered her things to leave.

Her smile would not leave her face as she walked down the path waving to everyone that greeted her. She was feeling better, mentally and physically, than she had in a long time, once again all thoughts of pregnancy and the like banished from her head.

As soon as she walked inside her home, she realized that it sounded rather empty. She set her bag on the counter and pulled out the envelope, carrying it to the office that Gaara had given her to use at home. She put the envelope in the top drawer and closed it tight before walking out of the office.

After getting a glass of lemonade, she walked outside to where a large tree stood shading a lover's swing. She walked over and sat on it pulling her feet up as the swing gently rocked. She didn't know where Temari, Kankuro, or Shikamaru were but knew that they would find her here if they were looking for her. She felt happy and light of mind as she enjoyed the warmth of outside and the noises of Suna. A few minutes later, she heard a door open and sat up on the swing, sliding off and standing up with a stretch of her arms.

"Sakura? Are you home?" She was surprised to hear Gaara's voice, knowing he was at work, or at least was supposed to be at work. Her heart leapt a little in her chest as she walked towards the house.

"I'm in here Gaara!" She called as soon as she was in the kitchen. He walked into the kitchen and immediately walked over to her and pulled her into a gentle embrace. She blinked, confused as to why he was home so early and as to why he was showing such affection to her. "You're home early." She said simply as he pulled back from the embrace, his face considerably less happy than she expected.

"I came to find you. There's a meeting I need you to come to. The hospital said you'd left so I figured you must have gone home." She nodded.

"I finished my work early and was expecting to meet Temari here, but that's beside the point, what's this meeting about?" He avoided her glance as if to hide what Sakura had immediately noticed, Gaara was tense.

"Nothing of consequence yet, it's just a meeting. We need to get going." Sakura's brow furrowed but she didn't push the matter further. She simply nodded and gave him a small, albeit fake, smile. The pair walked outside before transporting to the nearest rooftop and running to the Kazekage building.

They didn't usually do this but Sakura assumed Gaara wanted to make it seem less urgent and worrying by taking a longer route. Once inside, they were ushered to a conference room by one of the secretaries. A few people were already present, including Baki and another man on crutches that Sakura recognized as a man who she had treated for a broken leg and other injuries after being attacked on a mission. His presence in the conference room worried her greatly.

Her shoulder grew tense as she took her seat next to Gaara and waited as others meandered into the conference room. Once everyone was assembled, the door was shut and Gaara cleared his throat.

"This was not a planned meeting but it is very important. Keep your minds open to what is being said." He gave a stern glance around the room and then looked at Baki who stiffly nodded. He stood and instantly commanded everyone's attention.

"There has been a distress call received from a village near the border of Rain. There was very little information but they have sent a plea for help to not only us, but Konoha as well." Sakura's attention was immediately on Baki as her brow furrowed. This was a village in Suna, why would they be calling out to Konoha for help?

"As you know this area is a high tension area with a lot of poor residents, rogues, deserters, and illegal practices. This is why the previous mission was so dangerous. We believe these are not Rain shinobi but are rogues from Mist. This man was on a mission recently and came into contact with who we believe to be the rogues." Baki motioned for the man on the crutches to come forwards and speak.

"I was on a mission near the Rain border when my squad was ambushed and attacked. They killed one of our men and injured myself and a fellow comrade. Their tactics were definitely water based and they had a gas expert with them." The man stepped back as Sakura processed the information. Mist rogues in Rain was concerning. Why were they targeting a village? What could they stand to gain from a village in Suna?

Baki crossed his arms and stared at those gathered in the room. "The plan is to only send a squadron to investigate. The shinobi will be under cover as this is a highly delicate operation. We would normally send ANBU and be done with it but the situation became more complicated." Baki's gaze turned to Gaara as the information further served to increase Sakura's confusion.

Sakura noticed Gaara's incredibly troubling expression first. His fingers were running across a scroll in front of him as his jaw visibly clenched before he spoke with almost palpable malice. "They requested a medic for the trip to treat a mysterious illness and a diplomat to discuss a protection act between the village and Suna or Konoha. Seeing as the Lady Kazehime is a medic, diplomat for Suna, and a former diplomat of Konoha as well as the Hokage's student, the mission seemed to be perfectly suited to her. The conditions in which she could embark on this mission are very strict as we agree that this could be a trap putting her in considerable danger. Konoha was made aware of the situation and is sending a squad of ANBU. Due to the circumstances laid out to us, we have no other option but to consider sending the Kazehime." Gaara did not look happy as he said this. In fact, it seemed as if every ounce of his being was screaming for him to not do this. His turquoise eyes held a hatred Sakura hadn't seen in a long while and his hand had balled into a fist.

The room immediately erupted into a flurry of quiet murmuring as the gathered people debated the information. Sakura wanted to say something, anything, but Baki had locked his gaze onto hers as if telling her that her input would not be needed until something had been decided.

Her eyes wandered back to Gaara who had directed a steady gaze onto her. He looked angry and troubled but she knew it was not with her. In her mind she was weighing the pros and cons and knew that the end result would be the same no matter what. She had to go. She was the only person suited to the mission even though it gave her an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had done missions like this before. Missions where the stakes were high and she was needed. Sometimes those were the missions where she felt the most useful, but more often than not they were the ones that left a bad taste in her mouth.

Those gathered in the room seemed to have come to a decision as the chatter came to an abrupt stop. The man sitting to Gaara's right, a greasy haired gaunt man that Sakura knew was part of the council, cleared his throat and spoke in a nasally voice.

"We have come to the decision that the Kazehime is the only shinobi currently suited to this mission and must go to the village to act as a diplomatic envoy and medic." His black eyes shifted to Sakura and she knew that it was her turn to speak.

"I accept the mission. Suna's security and the security of its people are my main concern and a village of people in need is not something I will overlook. I will leave as soon as the ANBU are gathered." The people in the meeting room nodded at the decision as Gaara confirmed the mission with in a disgusted tone of voice. The meeting was adjourned and Sakura stayed behind with Gaara and Baki to discuss mission plans and details.

Four Suna ANBU walked into the room and stood along the wall just as four Konoha ANBU entered the room behind them. Where the Suna ANBU wore clean uniforms, the Konoha ANBU were covered in a thin layer of dust, showing that they had only just arrived in the city.

The squads were briefed on the mission and then dismissed along with Baki. Gaara and Sakura were just leaving when one of the Konoha ANBU members, a man in a hawk mask, approached them.

"Kazehime-sama, Kazekage-sama, I am pleased to offer my support in this mission. I am to escort you home." Sakura's eyebrows immediately raised as the voice turned from a neutral, unidentifiable tone to one that she most definitely recognized.

"Neji?" The man turned his head to Sakura and nodded as Sakura's eyes lit up. "It's good to see you! How's everyone at home since I left?" Neji shrugged a little.

"Mostly the same as usual. Naruto has become slightly more annoying since you left. He has been pursuing training with Lee lately." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"That must be causing some damage to the training grounds. When you return please give everyone my best wishes. They will have to come visit soon; nobody aside from Shikamaru has visited here. Speaking of which, you haven't seen him yet have you? We don't leave until tomorrow morning; you are more than welcome to visit." Neji nodded stiffly, as if he wasn't comfortable with the idea but was simply humoring her. Technically, he should not have revealed his identity, but they both had the clearance.

The trio left the building, taking the quietest route so as not to expose Neji to many people. The conversation was severely stunted as Konoha's coldest current resident seemed intent to live up to his reputation.

From what they managed to squeeze out of him they deduced that Naruto had nearly destroyed a training ground with Lee. He also stated that Ino seemed to be spending more time with her remaining teammate. Other than this, Neji said very little and only nodded or shook his head when asked questions.

Sakura smiled a little seeing that, even though so many things had changed, some things probably never would. Neji would always be that cold stick-in-the-mud and Naruto would always have that same boyish spirit he always had. The group walked up to the house and inside where Temari was waiting for them with a relieved look on her face.

"Sakura where were you? I thought you'd gotten lost or attacked or captured on your way back from the hospital! I went to pick you up but they said you had left early. Nobody seemed to have seen you after that!" Sakura smiled and patted her shoulder.

"I'm alright, we just had a meeting that's all. I'm leaving for a mission tomorrow morning but I'll be back soon. Neji's here to visit as well, he's coming on the mission with me as an escort. Is Shikamaru here?" Temari nodded. Neji seemed to feel slightly violated at the obvious breaches in protocol they were committing as he seemed to be trying his best to blend in with the wall.

"He's in the living room." They walked into the living room where Shikamaru was sitting watching the news with a lazy expression which changed very little as he noticed the ANBU with them.

"I wasn't expecting Konoha ANBU to visit." Neji nodded to Shikamaru who gave him a lazy glance. "This meeting seems to have been important." Gaara gave him a hard stare as the group settled down on the couches to discuss the matter.

End of Chapter 8


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Sakura and Temari brought the dinner out to the table in the dining room, setting the dishes down before calling the boys in. Neji entered the room, thanked them for their hospitality, bowed, and in his usual stoic and serious way, announced that he had escorted them home and was reporting to his squad.

After he left, the conversation shifted to details concerning the mission, something Sakura did not want to discuss.

"So what exactly is the objective?" Shikamaru asked, leaning back at the table as Kankuro, who had joined dinner a few minutes after Neji's departure, gave Sakura a pointed look. Sakura squirmed a little in her seat and cleared her throat.

"Well it's a diplomatic mission of sorts to help a village near Rain that requires our help with protection. There weren't many details about it but it may be a trap. Hence the reason I have ANBU with me. Konoha was also involved in the distress signal."

"It seems a little too perfectly suited to her particular qualifications for me to be comfortable with it but the council made a final decision." Gaara's distaste of the situation laced his every word and his features hardened again as Sakura sighed before standing and beginning to clear dishes. She listened to the others talking as she washed the dishes thinking about her mission the next morning and running through the exact details. She was partway through thinking about the travel time when she heard a gasp.

"Oh Sakura, you and I didn't get a chance to hang out today and now you're going on a mission!" Temari ran into the kitchen and grabbed Sakura's arm, dragging her out of the kitchen and out the front door before she even had time to protest. "The shops in Suna don't close until really late because more people shop in the evenings when it isn't so hot out. Come on, I'm going to show you some really awesome places and then we'll go walk or train or whatever you'd like." Sakura sighed but conceded, knowing her sister-in-law was not going to let this go.

The sun was starting to set and the sky was a beautiful orange and red as the lights came on in the town. The range of colors reflecting off of the sandstone walls was warm and comfortable even as Sakura felt the temperature had significantly decreased.

Temari brought Sakura to the market end of town walking at a determined pace towards a shop that apparently had the most versatile clothes in town. It was run by a retired Academy teacher and his daughter. According to Temari, he had apparently gotten married and decided to quit being a shinobi after his wife died of a disease a few years after the birth of their daughter.

"That's horrible that his wife died. I know how hard it can be on people to lose someone they loved. Especially when they have a little girl." Sakura shook her head and followed Temari into the store. A kind man with a handsome yet aged face greeted them, smiling at Temari and creasing his eyes when he looked at Sakura.

"Well now, do I finally have the pleasure of meeting the beautiful Kazehime? How do you do. My name's Riyu, I run this little store with my daughter Shima. She's in the back sorting some clothes right now, I'll call her out here to help you two. Were you looking for anything in particular?" Riyu smiled as Temari shook her head.

"We're just looking around; this is her night out." Riyu nodded his understanding and walked to the back to get Shima.

"Holler if you need something!" Temari smiled and waved to him before turning to look at a skirt with a full sweep and a slit in the side. It looked elegant and Sakura failed to see how it was an article of ninja clothing. That was until Temari caught her confused expression and showed her the knife pocket and concealed weapon pouch on the inside.

"They have clothing suited to specific needs like undercover missions and seductive missions as well." Sakura looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Really?" Temari nodded.

"Here look at this." She pulled out a low cut cocktail dress that would certainly catch a man's eye. It was black and tight at the top with a slight flare and ruffles at the waist and bottom. "Inside it has a spot for weapons and a microphone along with a clasp to let out fabric in the skirt and waist for easier movement. That's why it has the ruffles." Sakura was surprised at the ingeniousness of it.

She remembered a seductive mission where she had almost ripped her tight cocktail dress to shreds fighting. Needless to say, Naruto approved a little too much of the dress after the fact. Temari continued to show her things and eventually got her to try on a few evening dresses and fancy dress gowns that she could wear to political events without having to worry about wearing awkward pouches like she usually did when at political events. She ended up buying two of them and two hair chopsticks that doubled as senbons. They said their goodbyes to Riyu and left the store, continuing down the market lane to a store that had the most heavenly scents wafting from it.

"What is that absolutely amazing smell?" Temari looked at her with a Cheshire cat grin.

"It's Suna's very own sweet shop. 'The Dessert.' Corny name, I know, but they make really good sweets. The owner likes to experiment a lot; sometimes his experimental treats are amazing and he continues to make them but sometimes they are just awful. Like the experiment with chocolate covered pickles. Some of the women loved them but not enough to keep them around." Sakura thought immediately about pregnancy cravings and then subsequently berated herself for thinking about that topic again.

Temari stopped her in front of the shop and saw a few children clustered in the window with a hand on the glass, their eyes wide as they looked at all the treats lined up inside. Sakura immediately thought of a small pink haired girl next to a blonde haired girl and two brown haired boys with their faces in much the same expressions with their hands against the cool of the glass.

 _"Wow Ino look at that! It's a chocolate cat! Look it even has a little bow on it!" Sakura pointed to the white chocolate cat that sat on the stool in the window of the shop._

 _"Look at how big that bunny is! Wow I'd love to eat that." One of the brown haired boys patted his large stomach as the other laughed._

 _"Choji you'd like anything that was made of chocolate." Shikamaru smiled at his friend as the group stayed for a while gawking at the candy and chocolate until they heard their mothers and fathers calling them to where they were standing talking to one another._

Sakura blinked surprised at the sudden memory that she had never even thought to remember. Her face softened as Temari looked at the candy and chocolate from the window.

"Come on Temari let's go inside, I could do with a sweet." The two walked up to the door and pushed it open to the amazing scent of chocolate and sweetness along with the chiming of the bells. They looked around the warm room and smiled at the young man that walked out wearing an apron and a large smile. He was tall and lanky with dusty blonde hair pulled back into a short ponytail.

"Welcome to The Dessert. Are you looking for something in particular today? Or just looking?" He winked and Temari laughed.

"Well Sakura here seems to have a bit of a sweet tooth and smelled the chocolate." Sakura blushed and the man laughed.

"Well she's found the right place. This is Suna's only full-time sweet shop and, might I add, one of the best in all of the lands." He beamed and Temari laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Ever the modest one Laden." His deep chuckle filled the room as he leaned against the counter. Sakura couldn't remember meeting a person from Suna who was as immediately friendly as he was.

"It's a pleasure to meet the new Kazehime in person. I made something for your wedding. Well to commemorate it at least. It's over there." Sakura and Temari looked to where he motioned and saw a beautiful chocolate sculpture of her and Gaara side by side wearing their shinobi clothing and proud looks of confidence. The details were incredible. Laden had captured everything down to the headband Sakura wore in her hair to the tattoo on Gaara's forehead. The sculpture was in a glass case and had an engraved plate under it.

"To Suna's Kazekage and their strongest Kazehime. May they never be parted." Sakura read aloud and turned to Laden with a smile.

"It's incredible Laden thank you very much." Laden nodded and straightened up.

"Well Kazehime-sama, it would be an honor to me if you'd try one of my newest experiments. Don't worry, it's nothing crazy, just a little bit of raspberry candy and chocolate of course. There's something else in it but I'll see if you can guess that." He smiled and Sakura nodded and Temari laughed.

"You're brave Sakura. Not many people will try his insane creations."

"I heard that." Laden said with a playful glare in Temari's direction along with a half-smile. Temari rolled her eyes as Sakura took one of the candies on the tray Laden held. She took a bite and immediately closed her eyes in bliss.

"Laden that is the best sweet I think I've ever tasted." Laden beamed proudly as Temari reached over and took one, having the same reaction.

"That really is good Laden, you should start adding that to your regular stock." Sakura nodded.

"It has almost a sort of blueberry taste as well as the raspberry." Laden nodded.

"They're Acai berries. They're like blueberries but different. I also made the chocolate different and added a homemade ingredient. I need a name for it and now I've got one. If I have your permission, I'd like to call it 'Suna's Blossom' after you of course." He smiled at Sakura and she nodded.

"I'm flattered Laden, if you don't mind I'd like some of those and a few other sweets."

"Which ones would you like?" Sakura looked at the cases lined with sweets and immediately realized she had put herself into an awkward predicament. Temari, noticing her obvious distress, decided to save her.

"She'll have a little of everything. Surprise us!" Sakura looked at Temari thankfully and Laden nodded preparing a large bag of sweets and adding the Suna's Blossom candies into the mix. He handed it to them and smiled.

"Come back soon!" She smiled and nodded paying for the candies at a very low price accompanied by a smile from Laden and a cheerful wave goodbye as Temari and Sakura walked out of the store.

"So where to now Temari?" Sakura asked looking at her sister who had an evil sort of smile on her face.

"Why to Suna's best club of course! We'll go back to the house, get the boys, and go out. Nothing crazy, you're going on a mission tomorrow after all, but an early night out won't kill you. Come on Sakura don't give me that look, it'll be fun." Sakura's so called 'look' that she gave Temari was actually one of internal panic. Clubbing involved loud music and alcohol and that was not something she wanted the night before a mission.

They made it to the path to their house as Temari walked through the door with a loud entrance and a decidedly terrifying look on her face.

"Hey boys, we're all going clubbing tonight to give Sakura a proper send off! Get dressed and we'll get going!" Gaara walked into the hallway where Sakura stood looking semi-exhausted and somewhat worried. He looked at her with a questioning expression and she merely smiled. "Come on Sakura I'll do your makeup and hair once you go get a different outfit on." Temari pushed her towards the stairs and she started up them with Gaara at her side.

"You ok?" She nodded and he took her hand in his. "We don't have to go I had something planned for tonight." Sakura looked at him with a grateful expression.

"Really?" He nodded.

"Temari we're not going. You and Shikamaru go ahead and bring Kankuro with you. We're going out to have a night by ourselves." Temari appeared at the bottom of the stairs with a smile and a wink.

"You two have fun, we'll go out when you get back from your mission Sakura, your night will be more fun if you don't go with us." Shikamaru gave Gaara a glare that seemed to say 'thanks for that, now she's going to drag me along.' Gaara merely ignored him and turned back towards Sakura.

"I've got something to show you." Sakura nodded and followed him to their room and out onto the balcony. "It'll be better if we run there." Sakura nodded and jumped up onto the balcony ledge and was surprised as Gaara wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Oh I get it you don't want to spoil the surprise." She said with a smile as he tied her hetai-ate around her eyes like a blindfold.

"You trust me right?" He asked and she gave him a sideways exasperated look.

"Of course I do. You don't have to ask that."

"It's a force of habit." He scooped her into his arms and she felt the air start to rush past her ears and hair telling her they were running across the roofs of Suna. "It's a good thing it isn't windy out tonight so the sand won't stir up and obstruct the way. Hold onto me tightly we have to cross over a rather rough patch of land." Sakura nodded and gripped his crimson coat tightly. After what seemed like ages, the wind stopped and she felt Gaara setting her down.

"Are we there?" She asked, reaching up to tug off the blindfold. Gaara's hand stopped hers and she felt his breath on her ear.

"Just a little further." She shivered a little and knew it wasn't because of the chilly night air of the desert. She felt a guiding hand on the small of her back and walked forward, blindly letting him lead her. Finally, they stopped and Sakura felt hands in her hair untying the blindfold.

She blinked at the sudden soft light that filled the area where they were now standing. The sand under her sandals was still and the moon hung impossibly huge in the sky. They were standing on a beautiful low hanging cliff that overlooked all of Suna lit up by the full moon above them. The stars shone impossibly numerous and beautiful over the city like hundreds of tiny fireflies. There was a cave behind her with a fire inside and a few blankets with multiple pillows and a very cozy and warm atmosphere.

"Gaara this is amazing." He smiled and pulled her close.

"I know it's nothing like the forests in Konoha or the beautiful waterfalls or the beach but it's one of the only places…" Sakura stopped him with a soft kiss pressed onto his lips.

"It's perfect and outstandingly beautiful because it's our village, our _home_. Konoha's beauty is different than Suna's beauty. They are both my homes. Konoha is where I've lived my whole life and Suna is where I live now." Gaara's turquoise eyes looked down at his wife's emerald ones and felt a sense of overwhelming pride.

This was Suna's Kazehime, an amazing doctor and kunoichi, a beautiful woman, and his wife. He took her into his arms and held her tightly, taking in her intoxicating scent and the way she seemed to fit perfectly to his shape. He closed his eyes and stood holding her for what seemed like an eternity, never wanting to let her go. He did, however, and saw a smile gracing her lips. He took her hand and led her to the blanket sitting down and opening his arms to her. She sat between his knees with her head on his shoulder and her legs over top of one of his own. One of her hands entwined with his as she listened to the soft lub-dub of his heart.

"Sakura do you remember the story you told me about how the fireflies came to be?" She nodded and hummed her affirmation. "I remembered a story Temari told me a long time ago about the stars and the sand. It's a fairy tale they tell the children in the village apparently. Almost everyone here knows it." Sakura snuggled closer to him and ran her thumb across his hand.

"I'd like to hear it." Gaara started talking in a low and hushed tone.

"A long time ago before there were people here this land was made of nothing. There was nothing here but never ending white. The grass from the Fire Country suddenly stopped as soon as it reached here and no animals ever went past that point. Within the Fire Country there lived a playful coyote that wanted more than anything to have a friend to play with. The coyote was lazy, however, and all day he merely lied around and slept while the other animals went about their business in the forest. When night came he woke up and wanted to play. But he could never get any animals to play with him. He asked the deer to play with him but they were too afraid he would eat them. He asked the birds but they had all fallen asleep. He even asked the owl who sat up high in the tree to come and play with him. The owl said he was too busy hunting for mice and flew off leaving the poor coyote all alone in the forest." Sakura was listening with great intent as she laughed a little in her head thinking never in a million years would she have ever though Sabaku no Gaara would be telling her a bedtime story. Even his voice was different, cautious and plain as the situation was highly unusual for him. Sakura inwardly noted that this was the single longest thing she had ever heard him say.

Gaara continued the story and Sakura continued to listen. "The coyote became so saddened by this that he went to the top of the highest hill and began howling and crying to the moon. 'No one wants to play with me tonight. They all want to sleep and no one wants to have any fun.' He sat there for a while howling and crying until the moon shone light on the whiteness of the land where nothing was. The land lit up a dazzling white making the coyote's eyes go wide as he looked at it. 'Maybe there's someone there that will want to play!' He thought. So he walked into the land where nothing was." Sakura leaned back against Gaara a little more as she imagined the story playing out before her.

"As soon as he stepped inside he felt a hot wind on his fur. The ground beneath him was soft and grainy and completely white. He called out but heard no answer as he walked further into the land. After a few minutes he saw something small and brown sitting on the ground. The coyote's eyes sparkled and he ran over to the object seeing that it was a tortoise. The tortoise had a massive paintbrush lying next to him which made the coyote curious. He asked the tortoise if he wanted to play with him but the tortoise merely replied that he was busy painting the place he called a 'desert' Coyote grinned and took the huge paintbrush the tortoise had lying next to him into his mouth. 'I'll paint the desert for you then we can play!' So coyote took off running dragging the huge paintbrush across the desert leaving behind huge streaks of red and orange and yellow. As he ran he kicked up white sand which flew up into the sky and stuck there starting to twinkle and shine."

"After many, many days, coyote had finished painting the desert and had returned to the tortoise. The tortoise smiled and thanked him before disappearing. The coyote was confused and sad thinking that the tortoise had tricked him into painting the desert so he wouldn't have to do any work. The coyote was about to leave when he saw other animals like the lizard and snake come into the desert and look in awe at what the coyote had done. The coyote begged them to stay and play with him and the animals agreed liking the new place that he had created. They stayed and have been here ever since playing with the coyote that made the desert and the stars." Sakura looked at Gaara before bursting into a fit of giggles that had Gaara staring at her with an amused expression of his own.

"That was a lovely story Gaara, I just can't believe you told it to me." She laughed again as he smiled and held her close as the light from the fire illuminated them.

"This is our secret." He murmured.

"Of course I'll never tell a soul that Sabaku no Gaara told me a fairy tale. By the way you make a wonderful coyote." He narrowed his eyes playfully and kissed her pushing her onto the blanket gently and smiling as he kissed the mark on her neck which made her squirm.

"As I will never tell anyone that the Kazehime is ticklish." Sakura swatted his arm as he stayed silent and pulled her back to his side.

After a long while he broke the silence with a sobering thought. "I don't want you to go on that mission Sakura. Something seems…off." He sighed and looked into the fire again as Sakura pulled out of his grasp to look directly at him. He turned his gaze to her and she saw genuine worry in his eyes.

"Hey I'll be perfectly fine. I can handle myself remember? I once stood up to Shukaku's full form and I've killed an Akatsuki and lived to tell about it. I'm the Hokage's former apprentice along with the Kazehime so yes, my name carries some weight, but I'm not planning on waltzing in there pink hair and all shouting 'Hey it's me, Sakura!' I will be using a henge until I have to break it and I will have two squads of ANBU with me." She put her hand on his cheek and searched his expression. "So stop worrying so much." She kissed him again pushing against his soft lips as his hand came up to tangle in her hair and he pulled her down onto the blanket. They kissed for a few moments before stopping as she curled up in his arms and closed her eyes. "Can we stay here tonight?" she asked. He smiled.

"Of course." He whispered as she curled up against his side, staying that way until his heartbeat lulled her to sleep.

Morning came none too gently, shining a golden light into the cave where Sakura and Gaara were sleeping. Gaara, who was already awake before the dawn, was sitting up and observing the village covered in the first rays of the morning sun. He looked down at Sakura and hated that he would have to wake her. He bent down and kissed her lightly, pulling her out of her sleep.

"Morning." She said sweetly as she stretched and wrapped her arms around him.

"We have to get back to the house. It's a good thing you packed last night we don't have much time." She nodded and he saw that she was still very tired by the way she yawned and drooped her eyelids. "Here I'll carry you." He stated, scooping her up in the blanket she was lying in like a cocoon. She looked at him with a smile and snuggled into his warm chest.

"Ok Gaara, thank you." She said with a smile. He nodded and took off on his sand down to the nearest village roof before jumping across them to get to their house. Once there he opened the door and walked inside and up the stairs calling a good morning to Temari who had stuck her head out of the kitchen. She laughed when she saw the pair and shook her head.

"Hey I'm making breakfast so hurry up you two!" She chuckled again and walked back into the kitchen where Shikamaru sat smirking at the table as he read his newspaper, seeing the pair walk in. She obviously hadn't told him about the baby or he would have called a meeting about the mission to send someone else or call it off. He shook his head and continued to read as upstairs Sakura had hopped into the shower and got herself ready.

"These stupid straps!" She growled, pulling on the binding straps that Gaara seemed to greatly dislike. He walked over and untwisted them for her before helping her secure them. Gaara shook his head as she put on her shirt and medic skirt before strapping on her packs and kunai holder full of weapons and scrolls.

"I can't believe I'm letting you do this." He said quietly and she turned to him with a smile.

"Don't worry Gaara I told you I'll be fine." She kissed his cheek and lips before grabbing her backpack and slinging it onto her back.

"I know just; promise me you'll be careful. I can't have you hurt." She smiled at him sweetly and apologetically.

"I know but it's something I have to do. I'll be careful I promise." She gave him a tight hug and held onto his hand as they walked downstairs where Temari had breakfast ready and Neji sat at the table in his ANBU outfit. A bird mask lay on the table next to his breakfast. Sakura sat down as Temari placed eggs in front of her and Sakura popped an anti-nausea pill discretely into her mouth.

Shikamaru's eyes looked up briefly from the newspaper at her and she nodded to him as if saying. _"Don't worry we'll be fine."_ He nodded and turned back to the paper. She finished her meal quickly and stood as everyone looked at her.

"We'll walk with you down to the gates." Temari quipped as Gaara slipped his hand into hers and she gave it a reassuring squeeze. They walked quickly out of the house and down to the gates rushed by Neji who had put on his mask and said that they were to be there within three minutes.

Sure enough, when they got there the ANBU squads were already waiting and Sakura turned to say goodbye to Gaara who hugged her tightly against his chest. This surprised Sakura as he usually was extremely reserved in public.

"I'll be careful and I'll be back before you know it!" Gaara took her hand again as she turned to leave and she looked at him seeing worry evident in his face as much as he was trying to hide it.

"Be safe Sakura." She smiled.

"I will Gaara." Pulling her hand away, she walked to the center of the first ANBU squad as they set off leaving behind a Kazekage who solemnly watched his Kazehime leave his city and his arms.

End of Chapter 9 **.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Sakura swiped at the grains of sand that had lodged themselves firmly to the tops of her eyelids as they finally stopped for a short break after hours of grueling running. After removing the offending sand, she glanced around the location where they had stopped.

Surrounding them was a huge rocky outcropping near the far edge of Wind Country that blocked out the harsh rays of the sun but unfortunately trapped the heat. Sakura reached for her flask and drank the water greedily, shoving a rice ball into her mouth as the Suna ANBU captain called for them to continue on. The ANBU started up again without a word, having truly only stopped for her sake, and they took off once more into the sand.

An hour later they were nearing the border of Wind Country. The ANBU slowed and turned towards Sakura.

"Kazehime-sama you should henge yourself now." Sakura nodded and changed her hair to a brown color before putting it up into a ponytail and adorning a pair of glasses that looked like they belonged to someone in the Aburame clan. Apparently Neji thought so as well because she heard a small cough from the ANBU with the bird mask on her right.

She rolled her eyes behind the glasses and motioned for the group to pick up the pace again. Soon they could see a small path along the road and a few trees and tall, dry grass in the distance.

They made it into the slightly grassy area, traveling quickly as the dry grass whipped across their legs. Sakura could see a plateau rising high above the grassy ground towering in the distance. The village they were headed to lay just behind this plateau. Sakura immediately made another hand gesture and pushed the squads to move faster.

Soon they were in the shadow of the towering structure. They couldn't see the village yet but there was a road leading along to where she assumed it must be. They slowed and began walking along it with Sakura in the middle surrounded by strategically placed ANBU.

The village was modestly sized for an outskirt village, yet seemed rather empty and devoid of people upon their entry. One little boy dressed in plain brown pants and a shirt ran past them carrying what appeared to be a bucket of water. He was sweating heavily and Sakura couldn't help but wonder what he was doing running through the streets in such obvious distress.

She turned back to the path, walking into the heart of the village. She expected to see some sort of welcome from the people, but instead was greeted by a few people ducking into houses or walking down the streets carrying various things while trying their best to ignore her and her party of ANBU.

"Kaz- I mean Yuri, we should go and see the village leader." One of the ANBU, a rather young one by the sound of his voice, suggested from his place beside her. She nodded and they set off walking through the streets of the rather vacant little village.

After walking for a while they spotted a larger building in the center of the village. Sakura's hair immediately stood on end as the eeriness of the town truly began to settle around her. Sakura turned to Neji and he nodded stiffly. She motioned to the ANBU to go and take positions around the perimeter of the building. They nodded and disappeared leaving only Neji and two others guarding Sakura.

"We should be cautious. It feels too still out here." Sakura whispered. Neji nodded and the four of them opened the doors and walked inside. Sakura immediately looked around, seeing only a young lady sitting at a desk in front of them. She looked a little surprised but quickly composed herself.

"Are you from Suna or Rain?" Sakura looked at Neji and he nodded, moving forwards to speak in her place.

"We are from Suna and wish to speak with your leader on the matter of the treaty he sent us for." She nodded and stood, walking to the door near the left side of the desk. Immediately Sakura's hand twitched towards her kunai. She watched her disappear but didn't let her guard down for a moment.

After a few minutes she returned. She looked at Sakura with a cordial expression. "Our leader will see you now." Sakura nodded and followed Neji to the door, which he opened quickly with a single hand resting on the shuriken concealed in the pouch on his hip. He walked inside first and Sakura followed him. Once inside, they walked down the short hallway to a room where they could hear hushed voices. Neji knocked on the door and the voices ceased as they heard a click and the door swung open.

"Please, come in." A voice called and Neji obeyed, walking in first with Sakura close behind.

In the room there was a long table with men sitting in exact intervals along it. At the end of the table was a taller man in a chair with a worn expression and wrinkles along his brow.

Sakura knew the expression he wore as she had seen it on Gaara's face and Tsunade's face as well. He was being forced into doing something he didn't want to do. This made Sakura immediately stand even more alert.

"Please come and sit. We have been waiting for an ambassador from Suna for quite some time." He gave a fake smile and motioned for them to sit down.

Sakura took the empty seat as Neji and the other ANBU stood immediately behind her. The leader smiled and turned to Sakura.

"Now, what is your name?"

"Yuri Moshido. I'm a nurse at the Suna hospital and I'm a part of the council in Suna." She drawled in what she hoped was a Suna accent. The leader nodded and Sakura noticed his look of disappointment. So they really were expecting her, Sakura, to come, not some nurse.

"Well you will certainly be of help to us. My guards will show you to the facilities where you are needed at the moment. We've been attacked by shinobi we believe come from the Hidden Mist Village but are no longer affiliated with it. No one has seen their faces. We can't seem to get those who are involved in these attacks to wake up. They are all comatose." He sighed and Sakura nodded before standing and bowing to the group of men.

She left quickly, following the guards to a large building that seemed to be the local hospital. Once inside she saw a hallway leading to rooms filled with men that were both bloody and asleep. There were at least twenty comatose men in the rooms and all but two of them were civilian. Sakura sighed and immediately got ready to go to work.

"Nurse get him hooked up to some A+ blood as quick as you can." Sakura had wrapped a man's bleeding torso and healed it as best as she could without using too much chakra. The man had lost a good amount of blood and was completely comatose like the six other patients she had already attended. On each there were katana cuts as well as other scrapes and bruises. One man had been badly burned by what looked like an explosion of some sort but none of the injuries were fatal.

Sakura was completely baffled by the man's vitals. His pulse and respiration were slow and even, not at all like a man fighting injuries, but like someone who was completely healthy and asleep. This was the eighth patient she had come to and the vitals were the same as all of the others. It was as if someone had put them into a state of sleep. But it was more than that because if they were only in comas they would still have different vitals due to the severe injuries they had all sustained.

As soon as she had checked over the rest of them she made her way out of the small building to where Neji stood guarding the entrance. He gave her a turn of his head from behind the mask and she sighed.

"I'm done for the day, there's nothing else I can do for them now. Do we have a place to stay?" Neji nodded stiffly and motioned her forwards.

She followed him to the small hotel in the village partially concealed against the rock of the plateau the town was built against. They got the room key from the lady at the desk and Sakura followed Neji and the other ANBU to her room. Two ANBU stood on guard outside of her door and the other two, along with Neji, followed her into the room.

"Is it clear?" She asked and Neji nodded, having activated his Byakugan to be sure they were safe in the room.

Sakura sighed and dropped the henge before flopping down onto the couch. Neji noticed she looked a little more tired than usual and a slight sheen of sweat covered her brow.

"I believe this is a ploy to get you captured by the Mist rogues. Surely you noticed the way the leader acted when you said you were merely a nurse. He expected you to come. Did you see how the people are all scared to be in the streets? There are Mist shinobi here already or they are watching us from a distance but there's no doubt in my mind that they are indeed waiting for you." Neji's voice was hard and cold but behind it was a hint of caring for teammates that Sakura had come to pick out from his minute emotions over the years.

"I know. Those patients are under some jutsu. They are in a state of sleep that isn't normal for patients with healing wounds. I can't figure it out but I think our best bet is to start trying to find these Mist shinobi and attend to the patients as best as we can." Neji nodded to one of the ANBU who bowed slightly and looked at Sakura from behind his mask.

"Haruno-sama we can't afford to let you endanger yourself unless absolutely necessary. We will take care of finding the ninja and eliminating them while finding out their motives." Sakura nodded and the ANBU left the room leaving her alone with Neji, who had sat on the chair across from Sakura.

"You seem more tired than you usually are." Sakura glanced at Neji and then looked away.

"I'm fine, just a little out of practice from being on hospital duty so frequently. I'm going to get some rest." Neji nodded and stood before heading for the door.

"Alert us if anything happens."

"Yes, yes, goodnight Neji." She called as he nodded once more and walked out of the room, shutting the door and leaving Sakura in the dim light of the tiny hotel room.

Immediately she stood and began to take off the shirt and skirt she wore. Once she was only in her bra and shorts she took off her shoes and her weapons pouch, setting it on the nightstand right next to her bed. She then slid on a tank top she had previously laid on the bed.

Her body was exhausted from the chakra she used today and she knew it was because the pregnancy was making her tired. Their chakra lines were linked together and her chakra was flowing into the fetus. This meant that her burst chakra usage would be limited for the next four-six months. Healing was fine as it was a steady flow, but she knew that she needed to avoid using any jutsu that released too much chakra in one go. This would hinder her if the mission went sour but she was determined not to let that happen.

With a sigh she crawled into bed and did her best to put all thoughts of her condition far from her mind, the last thing she needed was a distraction.

The next morning came suddenly with Sakura never realizing she had fallen asleep. With a yawn she stood and grabbed a bottle of pills from her bag that lay on the floor near her bed. She swallowed one and then walked to the bathroom where she was met with a lovely reflection of severely mussed pink hair and a wrinkled tank top. There were no circles under her eyes and she didn't feel as tired as the day before. For this she was immensely grateful.

Deciding that the bed head she had obtained was too much for a brush to deal with, she decided to take a much needed shower to eliminate the messy hair.

Letting the warm water wash away her worries was working until she heard a knock on the door. With a sigh she turned off the water and got out, drying off as best as she could before sliding on new panties and wrapping herself in a robe she grabbed from her bag before wrapping her hair in a towel to keep it from dripping.

"Come in!" She called, sitting on the couch and rubbing the toe she had managed to smack on the coffee table as she was rushing about.

"Sorry to intrude Haruno-sama but the captain told us you were to be informed that enemy shinobi had been spotted a few miles away last night. He says to bring your things with you today in case you have to leave suddenly." The young ANBU must have been rather embarrassed, judging from the way he had only stepped in the room and shut the door, not having moved forwards at all. Sakura nodded and tried her best to keep the front of the robe from showing too much leg as she sat on the couch.

"Thank you. Please be on alert today." The ANBU nodded and bowed before leaving the room.

"So much for me having a relaxing day." She mumbled, standing and reaching for her abandoned clothes that lay on the coffee table from the night before.

Sakura had finished snapping her weapons pouch back onto her leg when she heard another knock on the door. "I'm coming!" She hissed, walking to the door with her packs in hand, ready to leave at a moment's notice.

Upon opening the door, she was immediately rushed forwards down the corridor by two ANBU, one of whom was Neji.

"There's been a change in plans. We've told everyone to get to a safe place and we're getting you out of here. The 'diplomatic mission' was a trap like we had suspected. The enemy shinobi moved in here a few minutes ago. You can't see anything outside and it's nearly impossible to fight." Sakura nodded.

"They're using the Hidden Mist tactics all right. We can't let this become a major political issue. They need to be eliminated. The Hidden Mist Village could wage war on Suna and we are not ready to fight at the moment. We need to deal with them quickly. My guess is they are rogues or are a separate group not affiliated with the Hidden Mist directly. It's not like Mist to take over tiny villages." Neji nodded as they came to the entrance of the hotel where Sakura could see only a heavy fog outside. Sakura saw him grab a kunai and hold it at the ready and she did the same as they stepped out into the damp air.

Sakura felt the presence of a few chakra signatures, but in the thickness of the fog they were fuzzy and distorted. She couldn't tell if they were friend or foe. Her lungs protested the drastic change in air, the saturation of the fog making her feel like she was drinking in water every time she breathed.

She started moving, following Neji and his Byakugan through the fog. Behind her the other ANBU member followed close on her tail.

Something whizzed past Sakura's head and immediately Neji was in a fighting stance and the young ANBU was covering her left flank as Sakura herself was preparing for a fight. The young ANBU suddenly pushed her back and she caught her footing just in time to see him engage a shinobi with a mask and dark hair. She watched as Neji dropped back to stand back to back with her as the shinobi disappeared back into the fog.

With a sudden rush forwards, Sakura saw Neji bring down an attacker, leaving her alone in the thick fog. The young ANBU was fighting with a new masked man now and was moving further and further away from Sakura and Neji.

Her senses were completely alert but not doing her much good. She didn't bother extending her chakra, knowing that in this fake fog it was nearly impossible to sense chakra signatures. She was completely blind until someone got into her range of sight.

A kunai hit the ground near her foot and she tensed but didn't jump, knowing that doing so would leave her exposed in the air. She stood completely still, her hand closed around her kunai and ready to throw.

As a shadow moved towards her left she launched a kunai in that direction and heard a small hiss of pain, giving her the advantage she needed to lash out. She managed to strike a solid blow on a shinobi who had then promptly fallen to the ground with her kunai lodged in his side. He looked very young but not at all frightened. Chunin at the very most. With a quick slash, she cut him down as another launched at her from behind. He managed a solid scrape across her arm but nothing more as she launched into a full hand-to-hand combat altercation with him.

His moves were quick and steady and hers were rather the opposite. She was a little more sluggish and shaky than normal. Her movements were slowing and she felt heavy and exhausted.

With a last effort she brought him down as the fog began to fade in her area. Her arms and legs were tired and she realized that every shinobi she had seen had been wearing a mask. With a start she covered her mouth, stupidly much too late, realizing the reason she was fatigued and weak was because it was some kind of sleeping gas. Her eyes grew heavy as she forced her chakra to begin flushing out the foreign chemical as she stumbled a little towards where she could see Neji battling with another shinobi. She was close to him when she felt a strong hit to the back of her neck and then blackness.

Neji saw her fall and called out as the man who had hit her scooped her up and darted off with the limp kunoichi in his arms.

Hours later, Sakura woke up to a chill moist feeling on her face and skin as she realized with a sudden start that it was cold, damp, and very dark where she now was. Her hands and feet were bound with chakra sucking chains and she was sitting in a very dark cell in some type of underground room.

She blinked and sat up, looking around in the darkness of the enclosed area. She knew three things at this point and none of them were looking to be very good.

 _"I've been kidnapped, I'm in a cell somewhere, most likely in Rain, and I'm alone."_ Her heart rate sped up and she cursed herself for being so stupid. This wasn't supposed to become a rescue mission for her!

 _"Gaara will be so worried. I hope Neji has the mind to wait to tell him, at least for a little while."_ Her arm throbbed from where she had been cut and she saw a simple bandage wrapped around it, most likely to keep her from bleeding out. They obviously wanted her alive or they could have simply killed her. With a solid glare into the dark she hissed in frustration.

"You bastards!" She yelled into the blackness. She was angry enough to take on a whole squad of shinobi but in her current condition she would be hard pressed to manage even three or four. A chilling laugh filled the dark enclosure and Sakura immediately started to scowl once again. This was getting to be such an ugly clichéd sort of kidnapping.

"Sorry about the accommodations doll. I know they aren't anything like what you're used to. A princess like you is probably pampered aren't you?" A tall man with dark eyes and slicked back brown hair walked into her cell, flicking on a light that made Sakura blink and squint.

The man had a strong jaw with a pair of lips that curled into a smirk that most women probably found incredibly sexy. But Sakura was not most women and all she wanted to do at the moment was punch him and that smirk ten feet into the ground.

"They aren't the worst I've been in." She spat back. He simply chuckled.

"A little spitfire huh? I like that in a woman. Anyways, sorry if you got attached to this place but you're to be given a much nicer room. After all, you're our guest of honor." He grinned and two other men moved in to the cell, unchaining her from the wall but keeping her in the handcuffs as she struggled to stand, feeling very weak from being knocked out and having the majority of her chakra taken away.

The men blindfolded her and practically drug her along the corridors and up a flight of stairs until she found the blindfold being removed along with the handcuffs which were replaced with softer ones that merely bound around her wrists like bracelets.

"We're sorry to have had to treat you like that doll but I will have someone come and attend to you in a moment. We can't have you looking like that when you're to be presented as a gift." He smiled and waved to her before walking out of the room.

Sakura cursed herself for being so vulnerable. Her body was exhausted and she could do little more than lie on the soft bed she had been set on. A sigh escaped her lips but she allowed nothing else as she heard the door open once again and saw two girls walk into the room.

"Hello Miss. We were told to attend to you." Sakura looked at them and nodded, knowing she had no choice and her wounds did need to be cleaned and healed. She would find a way to escape from this once she was well enough to leave.

"We'll help you into the bathroom Miss and then we'll clean your wounds." Sakura nodded, not protesting a hot bath at all, no matter if she was a prisoner or not. The girls helped her stand and brought her to the bathroom, letting her take off her torn shirt and dirty skirt before turning on the bath and adding some kind of herbal mix to it. Sakura took off her bra, shorts, and panties as the girls turned their backs. She stepped into the hot water and hissed in pleasure before sinking into the bubbles that were forming in the bath.

Prisoner or no, she was enjoying this part of her capture even as her mind reeled with ways to get out and to skin a man.

The girls cleaned the wound on her arm and left her clean bandages before bowing and leaving her to finish her bath in peace. Sakura sighed and washed herself before slowly getting out of the hot water feeling a little bit better but still very uptight and angry about her situation.

Her mind raced as she slipped into the simple kimono that had been laid out on her bed. It was a little big but she didn't care as she collapsed onto the bed pulling angrily at the cuffs on her wrists. They were restricting her flow of chakra and she couldn't do anything with them on. For the time being she was stuck as a prisoner but it didn't mean she wouldn't try and fight.

End of Chapter 10


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Sakura woke to the sound of someone unlocking her door. She couldn't remember falling asleep on the bed and this troubled her greatly. She did not like to be at the mercy of captors and was angry with herself for letting her guard down at all. The person who had done the knocking now entered the room and Sakura immediately huffed in annoyance.

"Miss. We are to get you dressed into nice clothes and take you to see the Master. He wishes for you to dine with him." The two girls who had helped her previously had returned with a very intricate silk dress in their hands. Sakura eyed the dress with a disgusted scowl that was usually reserved for when she found creepy crawly things in her house.

"Miss please step into here." The smaller girl said quietly, motioning for Sakura to step into the dress they had laid out on the floor.

Sakura obliged with a permanent scowl on her features. She knew the girls were most likely prisoners like her so she wasn't angry at them for the dress, she wouldn't make their lives more difficult, but she refused to put on a happy face while she wore it. She stepped into the mass of silk as the girls pulled the dress up and over her shoulders before securing the straps around the back of her neck.

The dress was in a halter style and was long and gathered at the back. It was a pale blue that made her bright pink hair and green eyes stand out against the color. It wasn't unpleasant and would have been beautiful had it not revolted her to think her captors were making her wear it. She felt sick at the prospect of having to have dinner with the girl's "Master." Angrily she wondered if the small cell she had previously been in would have truly been a worse fate than this. At least then she would have felt like a true prisoner instead of some pampered slave.

"Miss we are finished please follow us now." Sakura nodded deftly as a tug on the bracelets left her knees feeling weak. She let the girls help to guide her out into the hall where the guards and the man from earlier stood waiting for her.

The man looked her over with a lecherous grin that made her feel like an animal being looked over for slaughter. It also made her want to pound his face into the side of a cliff. "Well look at that, you're a real beauty aren't you Doll?" Sakura glared but could do nothing in her weakened condition.

"I'd be more appealing if I had the strength to stand on my own." The man's brow furrowed and he looked at her with a strange look.

"Are you sure you're actually the famous Pink Blossom of Konoha? I heard she was strong enough to bring down an entire village with a single punch." Sakura glared again as the man raised an eyebrow. "The girl who fought and killed a famous Akatsuki member? The same girl who could kill squadrons of men and was renowned everywhere for being as strong as the great Slug Sannin herself?"

"Even she can lose strength when she's been put in chakra restricting cuffs when she's in a condition such as this." He raised an eyebrow but said nothing else.

"That's understandable. Regardless the chakra cuffs stay on. Sorry but we can't risk you getting that monstrous strength of yours back." He held out an arm for her and the girls let go forcing Sakura to link her arm with the man's in order to be able to walk properly. He held her up firmly as they walked forwards with Sakura seething at his touch.

They eventually came to a door at the end of a corridor that had a high archway and very intricate carvings adorning it. The door swung open and Sakura found herself in a large dining room with a long table set for four. The man let her sit in one of the chairs at the head of the table and took the chair on the side of the table. The door opened behind her and she saw a young man in ANBU clothing walk to the other head of the table and sit before her with a smile.

"Haruno-sama, how nice to see you again." His voice was very familiar but she didn't recognize it, at least she didn't until he placed a red cat mask with a blue diamond on the forehead down on the table.

"You traitorous rat!" Sakura screeched as she attempted to stand upwards out of her chair, two strong hands were on her in an instant, forcing her back down as she clenched her teeth tightly together.

This man was supposed to be one of the ANBU that had been escorting her. Neko was his code name, what his real name was she didn't know. He was, up until this point, just another ANBU member. But now she questioned everything. ANBU were constantly scanned and it was nearly impossible to impersonate one but this man had obviously managed it. This man couldn't have posed as the ANBU Neko before the squad left Konoha so that begged the question of how he had managed to take his place.

Now this man, who had most likely killed and assumed the place of an ANBU member, sat smiling at her smugly as she sat helplessly as his prisoner.

Oh how she wanted to punch him square in the jaw and beat him within an inch of his life. He chuckled at her seething face and motioned for the waiters standing by the sides of the room to bring forward the drinks they were holding. A cup of wine and a glass of water were set before her but Sakura paid them no mind.

"Well I assume you're surprised, that's to be expected, but I must say you're showing considerable restraint for someone renowned for her short temper and extraordinary strength." He sipped his wine and then furrowed his brow slightly. "Ah my apologies for the chakra cuffs but I couldn't take any chances you see." Sakura merely glared at him with a hatred that reached her very being.

"You're lucky I'm wearing them. If I wasn't in this position you wouldn't be here right now." Neko chuckled and shook his head.

"Now, now be polite. I've heard stories about your monstrous temper you know. You're famous for it." He set his glass back down as his eyes moved back to her. "Besides, I wouldn't want my guest to leave now that I've finally caught her attention." He grinned and Sakura stood up suddenly, glaring daggers at him.

"You took me away from my mission and my home and you expect me to be polite?! I just wanted to help the village, what the hell is it to you anyways?!" She couldn't help it. She was yelling now, her exhausted body pushing itself to the max to keep her standing as she leaned heavily against the table. Neko was looking a little miffed. The other man sitting to her left was looking rather worried as Sakura's hand was dangerously close to the knife at her place setting.

"Please sit. You are in no condition to be standing when you're so obviously weakened." Neko murmured calmly, obviously choosing his words carefully. Sakura was shaking in anger and exhaustion now as she launched the knife quickly at Neko's head making him duck as it hit right where his head had previously been with a considerable amount of force. He looked at her and chuckled before taking the knife out of his chair and motioning for the guards to make her sit down once more.

She sank into the chair reluctantly as the man who had called her doll guffawed.

"Jeez she's one tough cookie!" Neko laughed as well as Sakura gave them her most vicious glare.

"Indeed. Now please let us enjoy a nice civilized meal as I explain my plan for you." He snapped his fingers and the waiters brought forward trays laden with sushi and meat as well as vegetables and fruit. Sakura's eyes scanned across the food warily as her instincts told her not to eat any of it while her mind told her to gather her strength.

The man next to her had dug into his plate and Neko had as well, leaving Sakura to stare at her empty plate. One of the waiters saw her not moving towards the food and took her plate from her place setting. Meat was placed on it along with a pear and some vegetables and rice. The waiter set it before her and gave her a pitying look before leaving.

The two men continued eating their food as Sakura sat staring at hers. She looked at the plate and then up to Neko who was watching her like a hawk. After a while of this she sighed and decided that her brain was right. She was going to need to eat to gain her strength back. Neko smiled when he saw her give in and begin to eat the food, what very little chakra she had left scanning for any toxins, not that she could do anything about them if there were any.

"Does the food please you?" He asked and Sakura merely shot him a glare that would send most people running. "Good. Now as for what I plan to use you for isn't it obvious? The wife of the Kazekage, the Kazehime herself, is a great bargaining chip. Not to mention the fact that you are the adoptive daughter of the Hokage so I might be able to get a double deal out of this little exchange." He laughed and Sakura's eyes narrowed. Of course she was a bargaining chip. How unoriginal could this guy get? The lavish quarters and food, the snooty voice and theatrics, even the way he looked at her was predictable. This angered her more than anything, she had been captured by a stereotypical idiot! What was she, a damsel in distress? Right there she vowed to train more when she got out of this situation, this was insultingly embarrassing.

This aside, her mind immediately knew what his plan was. He would no doubt demand her life for Suna and possibly Konoha. He was a sick bastard indeed for thinking he could get away with it. It was just so cliché. She had been on countless missions with hostages demanding money or land or a multitude of things. She had no doubt he would be caught and she would be home to Suna in no time.

"You can try." She said simply and Neko raised an eyebrow as Sakura went back to her eating in silence.

Back in the village where the mission had taken place there was absolute chaos. The ANBU had all been knocked unconscious by the fog and had only just woken up to a foggy town with no Sakura in sight. After checking everywhere there was an outbreak of chaos as the townspeople were ordered inside and the Konoha ANBU rushed to Neji for guidance as he was their de-facto squad leader.

Not only was Sakura missing but another ANBU member was as well, none of them had been killed, just injured, and this made Neji extremely confused and very agitated. Sakura was his responsibility and if the Kazekage got wind of his wife's kidnapping, Neji's job, his life, and the fate of Suna could be on the line.

For this reason, a damp and angry Neji called the ANBU together in the middle of the town to issue an order that would be going against all other orders he had been given.

"This village is to be isolated. Not a word of this gets out to anyone understand? The fate of Suna and possibly the Kazehime is at stake here. We cannot let the Kazekage become aware of her capture, it will make things worse." A young Suna ANBU member tried to speak up but Neji cut him off viciously.

"No questions! I know Suna ANBU do not report to me, but this will fall on your heads more than it does mine. If any one of you breathes a word of this, I will end your career and possibly your lives. End of story." He glanced at the Suna ANBU captain who nodded from behind his mask, agreeing with Neji's assessment of the situation.

"These are orders. Stick to them. Now two of you will stay here on patrol, the rest of you will come with me. Gather your things. We're going to get the Kazehime back." Neji turned on his heel and without a word the others followed him, leaving one Suna and one Konoha ANBU member behind. They all couldn't risk having anything go wrong at this point. The situation was dire and delicate.

Back in the place where Sakura had been captured things were much less frantic but a tension still hung about the room. Sakura had finished the meal with no more incidents and was brought back to her room as Neko stated that she was "very tired and needed rest." Sakura glared at him but was secretly thankful to be leaving his presence and going back to the nice soft bed where she could rest and gain her strength back.

The chakra cuffs were really draining her of energy and she knew deep down that they had the possibility to harm the developing fetus. A part of her was deeply concerned about this and it unnerved her to know that she already cared about the wellbeing of a child she had not even been able to properly think or care about.

Once she was in her room she moved to the bed with the help of the two servant girls who helped her dress into a nightgown before crawling under the covers. She closed her eyes immediately and fell into a deep sleep.

Neji was running his team thin, fanned out across a large area of trees as they scanned the ground. He had his Byakugan activated and was searching tirelessly, knowing the base was in Rain and close enough to the village that the attackers were comfortable enough to make an attack in daylight and take Sakura. The rain that fell in heavy drops around them only added to their frustration. It was so damn difficult to pick out anomalies on the ground when everything was saturated with water.

One thought was pulling at Neji's mind as they ran. The ANBU member that had disappeared had left behind no signs of a struggle. It was clear their target was Sakura and that the ANBU were just guards that needed to be dealt with. The fact that the attackers had not killed any of them meant that they were in a hurry and were not interested in them in the slightest. Why then had they taken one of their members? It didn't make logical sense.

He furrowed his brow and continued to scan the ground with his Byakugan, not bothering to care about the darkness or the other ANBU member's slowing speeds as they began to tire.

After an hour, Neji thought he caught a glimpse of a chakra signature and stopped the ANBU members with a single signal. All of the ANBU immediately convened in the trees around him and waited for his instructions.

Faintly, Neji could see the chakra signature he was looking for. It was wavering and was barely there, but it was enough. There were multiple other signatures as well, all very strong and healthy but heavily masked. It was only thanks to the Byakugan that he could faintly make them out. He couldn't make out who any of the signatures belonged to, apart from Sakura's, but he knew he had found something that seemed promising.

"We'll stay here tonight. Take turns with guard. I'll take first watch. Get some rest but don't leave your trees." The other ANBU members nodded in the dark as Neji turned his Byakugan off and switched to using pure chakra to see in the darkness of the forest. He scanned the ground constantly and didn't notice the hours ticking by until a hand on his shoulder told him his watch was over. With a final glance he nodded to the ANBU member and moved out of his way.

Morning came all too quickly as Sakura woke to the sound of a large crash in the hall and her door being thrust open roughly. She sat up like a rocket, inducing a little bit of vertigo as she blinked in the sudden brightness.

The two servants from before had been shoved into her room and both looked terrified as they rushed to her side and urged her to hurry and stand. Sakura complied quickly, listening to their frantic pleas as they stuck her in her usual clothing without the weapon pouches and slid her shoes on her feet. She let them do this as she heard the terror in their voices as they said they had to leave and needed to be quick. After she was all dressed the girls backed away and two guards along with Neko and the other man barged into the room.

Neko glared at her and Sakura immediately wondered what had happened and simultaneously gained quite a bit of hope. She didn't have long to wait for an explanation as Neko began to speak as they were rushed down the hall.

"Our dear ANBU have somehow found our hideout and are currently attempting to get to you. Not to worry though! We have a way out that they don't know about." Sakura's mind was immediately whirring as her eyes lit up like firecrackers. They had found her!

"Here!" She yelled as loud as she could before Neko spun around and hit her squarely in the jaw, staggering her slightly as her vision swam for a moment.

"Keep quiet!" He growled, seeming more panicked and hurried as a cloth was tied tightly onto her mouth to gag her. Sakura found herself being thrust through the halls to a door that undoubtedly led to the forest outside.

The door was flung open and the dim morning light filled Sakura's vision. She had only a moment to adjust before she was being forced to run through the trees, the grip of the guards keeping her righted and moving.

She only hoped Neji could see them leaving or had at least heard her yell.

A muffled feminine shout had Neji's head jerking upwards and his Byakugan scanning quickly through the base. With a barked order to the others they pulled out of the crumbling rubble and fighting they were engaged in and all made a beeline for the place Neji was directing them to.

"The Kazehime is alright! They're taking her that way!" With a burst of speed, they took off running across the brittle ground, sticks and dirt flying beneath their feet as they took to the trees. Neji's eyes were fixated on Sakura's almost transparent chakra signature. He knew immediately that they had chakra cuffed her as all of the other signatures were strong but hers.

All thoughts were on Sakura now, both good and bad. The guards had long since given up on attempting to make her run faster and had instead fused her chakra cuffs together and hoisted her over one shoulder in typical kidnapper fashion. From her current position bouncing on the back of the guard she caught a glimpse of a figure in an ANBU uniform.

Neji now had a clear view of them and had caught a glimpse of Sakura on the back of a guard being hurriedly carried through the trees. He pushed forwards and urged his team to begin to cage them in, fanning out in a semi-circle around them as they ran. They were gaining on them and only a little room between them prevented them from closing the gap.

With her fury and will to fight sufficiently renewed, Sakura summoned all of her remaining strength and shoved her knee into the side of the guard. He stumbled and loosened his grip on Sakura enough for her to push herself off of his shoulder, propelling her backwards and down towards the ground.

Immediately she scanned for something to grab on to, but finding nothing.

She landed hard on what she thought was the ground until she felt herself being suddenly lifting her into the air. Her confusion turned to shock as the seething face of Neko flashed into view just before her head was violently kicked and her vision went dark.

Neji saw Sakura fall and pushed forwards to catch her at the same time a huge white object blocked his line of vision and a massive bird-like creature caught Sakura on its back and moved upwards.

Bright lights flashed in the darkness as Sakura found herself hovering in the hazy border between consciousness and unconsciousness. She could make out sounds of what sounded like air rushing past her and the feeling of being pinned down. Suddenly the air that had been blowing on her face increased ten-fold and soon a sudden jolt shook her roughly into the area of consciousness that had her blinking in the bright lights.

The sensation of falling followed by a surprisingly soft thud and a sudden harsh impact had her completely and forcefully returned to the land of the conscious.

Her green eyes blinked as she willed her mind and vision to focus and find out what had happened. With a sudden fear of recapture and the horrendous feeling of being completely vulnerable, she scanned where she had landed, still gagged and bound and now dirty and damp from the muddy ground.

She was in a clearing in a place she didn't recognize as the forest was definitely not the sparse forest she was previously in but a lush and fertile one that reminded her of the forests of Konoha, just much soggier. She could see the form of Neko lying face down on the ground just a few feet away, burned, disfigured, and surrounded by red blood. She barely had time to register all of this as the feeling of the tip of a blade against the side of her throat had her turn her eyes to the new arrivals in the clearing just as her mind reminded her she was vulnerable, drained of chakra, and very much at the mercy of the new arrivals.

Her frantic eyes looked at her attackers finding them standing above her in the form of two masked men with weapons at her throat and a woman with black hair and yellow eyes staring at her with a slight crease in her brow. Sakura looked up at her and raised her bound hands in surrender, knowing she was cornered and had no way of fighting back.

"I don't think she's with him. She looks like a prisoner. Nevertheless, we can't take chances. Pick her up and we'll take her back to the village. I have all of the packs he had." The woman turned away from her and Sakura found herself lifted up by the two men as they helped support her. Her clothes were singed and filthy and her left leg throbbed considerably.

She was glad to know Neko had taken her packs with him as they contained all of her weapons and medical supplies, along with her headband that she had seen one of Neko's guards carrying earlier, but was positively mortified at the idea of having been captured again.

They walked away from the scene of the fight leaving Sakura still, bound, gagged and utterly bewildered as to where she was, who these strange rescuers/capturers were, and where they were going. Her main confusing concern was about how Neji and the other ANBU had lost her and where they could possibly be.

They walked for what seemed like an hour before reaching a dirt path leading to a small village that was built into a large hill, surrounded by dense marshy greenery making it incredibly secluded and hidden from view.

They walked into the town in an authoritative procession with the woman taking the lead and her playing the role of the captured prisoner dutifully following the orders of the guards holding her arms. The residents stared at her as she was forced past them while Sakura couldn't shake the feeling that each and every one of them was sizing her up like a possible opponent.

What set her even more on edge was when she noticed that every person she passed was dressed in obvious shinobi attire, most with weapon pouches or swords strapped to them and some with bizarre coverings over their faces or bodies that were obviously not something a civilian would wear. There were many people coming to and fro in the town buying things from the vendors on the street, all of whom also had the look of shinobi about them.

Sakura's mind immediately jumped to the conclusion that this was a town for bounty hunters, deserters, rogues, and generally for shinobi she wouldn't want to run in to. She had been to a town like this before to weed out some shinobi wanted for bounty and had always been told towns like these were for those with no loyalty to any of the hidden villages or any village at all for that matter.

This town did seem different from the ones she had visited before, however, as she saw none of the tell-tale signs of a "deserter town" as they were called, other than the population of only shinobi or people who looked like they were once shinobi.

Most deserter towns were filthy places, usually falling apart or tucked away within sections of poor towns with high crime rates, brothels, bars, and a general bad aura.

As far as she could see, this town looked clean and just about the opposite of every deserter town she had ever been to. This town looked even nicer than some of the port cities she had been to and nothing about it seemed to scream 'criminal'. There were shops and vendors in the streets and everything about it seemed rather normal. What shocked her the most was a small medical clinic that they passed, and not far from it a ramen stand where a group of men were laughing and talking only stopping to stare at her as she was marched past them. This painfully familiar sight threw her mind for a complete loop. Nothing was adding up at all.

"Hey Jera! What's going on?" A male voice called out to their group as their leader, the black haired woman, abruptly halted and looked over her shoulder at whoever had called out to them.

"We found her with that one that was flying over. We think she's a prisoner of his but we're bringing her to Jiro just in case." The man, who Sakura couldn't see as the guards had her facing forwards, must have accepted this answer and went back to his buddies at the ramen stand as their little group began walking again, the guards practically dragging Sakura along.

The woman, who she now knew was called Jera, looked back at her once and seemed to scan her face before turning forwards once more, walking up a set of stairs they had come to.

A small temple-like building sat at the top of the stairs with shinobi walking in and out of it on the pathway. All were staring and giving her and the two men holding her a large birth as they went on their way. Sakura's mind was reeling, this all seemed so normal and yet so…wrong.

Upon entering the building Sakura was led to a room. Jera motioned for the guards to set Sakura down and untie her gag as Jera walked over to a large chair facing the windows overlooking a garden.

She heard Jera whispering incoherently as one of the men worked on untying her gag and the other set her packs on the desk. Sakura wanted nothing more than to cry out the moment she was released from her gag but was stopped as an older looking man stood out of the chair and walked towards her. She was silent as she oserved him, chosing to take in everything about him before doing anything rash.

His eyes were a deep brown and his hair was chestnut with streaks of grey pulled back into a short ponytail. His skin was tan and his clothing was simple, a light colored tunic and loose black pants with standard sandals. All in all, he didn't look like an intimidating man and would have seemed almost like a friendly neighbor had her eyes not immediately noticed his strong frame that pegged him as a shinobi.

"So Jera tells me you were with the man Tono on the large bird when he was brought down am I correct?" Sakura nodded remembering her place and showing her respect to her saviors, as that was what they were, in a strange way. "So were you this man's prisoner?" His voice was soft and probing, not at all what Sakura expected when she thought of being questioned. Her confusion was growing even as her mind began to formulate a new idea of where she was. Surely this couldn't be a rogue village, could it? It just seemed so…so much like her home in a way.

Sakura looked up at the man, feeling just a bit less anxious but still confused.

"Yes." Jiro nodded and looked down at Sakura's hands, picking them up in his own and gripping them slightly as her instinct made her attempt to jerk them out of his grasp. His eyes met hers as his grip loosened in a silent show of his intention to not harm her.

Reluctantly, she surrendered her hands to him and watched as he removed the chakra cuffs still on her wrists. She breathed a sigh of relief the moment they were gone, watching as his eyes scanned where the chakra cuffs had bit into her skin, the flesh irritated and slightly bloody.

He let go of her hands and observed her forehead where Sakura could feel a throbbing headache from where Neko, or maybe Tono had kicked her. The man reached out and touched her swollen jaw lightly, sending pain through Sakura's face and causing her to twitch back from his touch in another instinctive reaction.

She was silent throughout this entire process, knowing speaking could still be dangerous despite his kind demeanor, and instead resorted to tolerating his assessment of her injuries. His eyes looked down at her leg where a large, dark bruise had begun to surface, most likely caused by her fall.

"You certainly have been treated roughly haven't you?" The man's face had softened as he turned to Jera. "From what I can see she seems to have simply been a prisoner but, given her obvious shinobi attire, I would like to talk to her and learn her story after she has been cleaned up and her wounds attended to. Take her to the clinic and tell them to take good care of her. She's a guest of mine from now on." He smiled at Sakura and she looked at him completely bewildered and exceedingly grateful.

Jera bowed to him and the men helped Sakura up once more as they left and walked back through the village and into the clinic where she was handed to a nurse in a medic's uniform. The woman had her remove her clothes and put on a hospital gown so that she could do a full body check. Sakura did so slowly, realizing that she had also hit her shoulder hard on the way down as her muscles screamed at her the moment she moved her right arm.

The woman gave her a sorry glance as she examined her. Sakura twitched away from the feeling of foreign chakra but caved in when she remembered that she wouldn't be healing herself anytime soon. The nurse informed her that she had a mild concussion, large contusions in her right shoulder and leg, a swollen and bruised jaw, scratches and chakra burns from the cuffs and a few assorted cuts as well.

Sakura already knew what the damage was and it was trivial. She got off easy, very easy considering everything that had happened.

The nurse left the room for a moment, returning with bandages, alcohol swabs, salve and gloves, all of which she set out preparing before alerting Sakura that she would heal the swelling in her jaw and head with chakra before attending to the other injuries. Sakura was silent as the feeling of cool healing chakra entered her head and immediately she felt the throbbing headache recede and the aching tight pain in her jaw dissipate. The nurse then stopped the swelling in her shoulder and leg before cleaning the cuts on her wrists and leg with swabs and then applied bandages to both. The nurse also applied a cold salve to her shoulder which Sakura recognized as something to help heal muscle contusions.

Sakura felt her strength returning during the time she was being healed, having had the chakra cuffs completely removed. Though she knew it would be a day or two until her chakra was completely recovered, she was comforted in knowing she would be alright. Her mind suddenly turned to the pregnancy and, in a move that surprised her and the nurse, she reached out a hand to the nurse who was about to leave the room and stopped her.

"Please, can you check something else for me?" The nurse looked baffled as Sakura sat up and lifted up the hospital gown she was wearing. "I would do it myself but my chakra hasn't returned." The nurse looked at Sakura with confusion.

"I don't understand Miss, what do you want me to check? Is your stomach in pain, do you have internal injuries?" Sakura shook her head.

"I'm a medic like you and I would like to check to see if the chakra cuffs affected my current _situation_ but, as you can tell, I have very little chakra at the current moment." She was a bit irritated as she gave the nurse a pointed look and received, at first, only a confused expression. As Sakura gestured to her stomach and raised her eyebrows again, the nurses' hand flew to her mouth and her eyes grew impossibly wide.

"I'm so sorry! I had no idea, you were wearing a uniform so I didn't think… Here of course I'll check." She laid her hands on Sakura's stomach and Sakura laid completely still, subconsciously holding her breath. When a smile graced the nurses' face Sakura knew that nothing had changed, and wondered if she had been hoping something had…

"The signature is a little weak but fine. I'll bring you some food to help you gain your strength back and tell Jera you'll be fine to go in an hour or two." Sakura thanked her as the nurse left in a hurry to bring her food.

As she pondered over everything that had happened, she came to the conclusion that she would have to start to think about her condition, as much as it still frightened her to think of it as such. It was early and she was still scared, angry at herself and didn't even begin to know how to break the news to Gaara but she knew she would have to think about it now.

The nurse returned with the food and Sakura was all too happy to eat it. Regaining chakra required energy and lots of it so any food was important.

As she sat eating she heard the sound of footsteps and looked up from her food just as Jera entered the room with a more concerned and somewhat friendly expression. Sakura stared at her as the woman leaned against the door jam. Her expression was different from what it was when she had captured Sakura and it was simply adding to the intrigue and confusion of the entire situation Sakura found herself in.

"I heard from the nurse that the little prisoner we found is in the family way. That's certainly unusual." Sakura squared her shoulders as she stared at the woman in front of her.

"It is unusual, yes." Jera walked over to her bed and sat down on the chair next to her but luckily didn't seem to want to probe her with more questions, at least not yet.

"Honestly, it makes you even more intriguing. As if your appearance didn't already do that." She gave Sakura's hair a pointed look that the kunoichi was used to receiving from people who had first met her. "I'm looking forward to hearing your entire story but Jiro said to wait until you could see him and explain. He sent me down to give you your packs back as a token of us trusting you." Sakura took the packs from her and looked at her with a confused, but grateful glance.

"Is it wrong for me to say that I am confused as to where I am, who you all are, what that guy was doing to make you shoot him down, and why the hell you are all being so nice to me?" Jera looked at her with a furrowed brow, obviously confused herself.

"What, you mean you don't know any of that? You were a prisoner of Tono right? Didn't he tell you what he was planning?"

"He told me he was planning to use me but that was it. Honestly, so many things have happened in the past 48 hours." Jera rubbed her forehead with one hand and stood up, looking at Sakura.

"Well I'm sure Jiro will help answer your questions, but as to where you are, you're in Mito Village, in Rain. We're not well known and, for the most part, we're off the map completely." Sakura's simply nodded her thanks. Jera gave her a slight jerk of her head and then stood and left without saying anything more.

A few hours later, Sakura was dressed in her usual clothes, now clean thanks to the nurse, and had all of her packs and pouches in their usual place on her person. She was already feeling much stronger and comfortable knowing she was healing and was in the presence of people who weren't trying to kill her or use her to their own ends.

She was told to make her way back to the temple-like building with one of the men as her guide and soon entered back into the room where Jiro sat waiting for her. He smiled when she walked in and motioned for her to sit in front of him. She did so with a small bow, showing her gratitude and respect for his hospitality and kindness.

"I'm glad to see you are better. Now maybe we can figure out where you came from and what exactly happened to make you a prisoner of Tono." Sakura nodded. "First, I think I should know your name."

Sakura wondered if she should give him her real name for just a moment before deciding that it would be alright and that she owed it to him for being so kind to her. "Sabaku no Sakura."

He looked at her with raised eyebrows and then laughed a hearty laugh. "Well I think that answers my questions as to why you looked familiar and also as to why you were taken by Tono." Sakura nodded again.

"He planned to use me as a bargaining chip for something but I'm not exactly sure what." Jiro nodded and she continued. "A village on the edge of Wind Country sent a distress call and a plea for a diplomat and a medic to help them with an illness that had spread through the town and to negotiate with supposed attackers on terms of surrender. They were being attacked by Mist shinobi, or what we believe now to be Mist rogues that were working with Tono on a plan to lure me in and capture me. Other than that I don't know their motives at all." Jiro's eyes closed for a moment before he spoke again.

"So you were captured and I assume the people with you found the base and went to take you back?" Sakura nodded again.

"Yes there were ANBU with me and they went to retrieve me. Tono took me and fled and somehow I landed on that bird and was knocked unconscious. That's pretty much what landed me here." Jiro leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"Well as to Tono's motives, we've been tracking him for a while. He was planning an attack on some of the main villages in order to take control. I believe he was after Suna in particular seeing how he was allied with the man who attacked you a while ago. We've been infiltrating and trying to stop him ever since we found out." Jiro stood and walked to the window on the far wall that overlooked the town.

"This town is a refuge for shinobi who are wanted by specific groups of rogues. We are basically a pit stop for shinobi from all over Fire Country and Wind as well. We have shinobi coming in from Suna, Konoha, and small underlying villages. There are freelancers and private forces who stop here as well as those who are working on specific missions dealing with rogues. We help them and in return, this town stays a secret. The only way you can become affiliated with us is if you have been sent here by one of the people who work for me and live here. Think of us as a safe-haven for those loyal to Suna and Konoha or simply to the Fire and Wind Country Alliance." Sakura let the information sink in and couldn't help but stare at the man in utter disbelief. This man was helping them under the radar and seemed to expect nothing in return other than to be a secret from the villages who could help him and pay him for his services.

"But why be a secret? Why not let us know so we can work together?" Jiro laughed and smiled at her.

"It's difficult for a shinobi from a large village to understand. We wanted to do things our own way I suppose, but we are relatively new. Only about 10 years old. We have yet to reach out to the villages for fear they would regard us as a hub for unlawful activity that could be deemed dangerous to the overall peace of both Fire and Wind. We don't ask many questions here you see, but unlawful activity is strictly prohibited and very well enforced." Sakura nodded and shook her head slightly with a small smile.

"I'll be sure to make connections for you in both Suna and Konoha if you wish or keep you under the radar if you wish that as well. I have to do something to show you my immense gratitude for helping me as well as my villages." Jiro looked at her for a moment and grinned.

"Maybe we can find an arrangement that suits us both."

End of Chapter 11


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Sakura had left Jiro with a deal that suited them both. It was settled that she would be brought safely to the village she had been taken from and assisted by Jera and the two men from earlier who would act as both guides and guards.

Then would then leave her at the drop off point without being spotted and Sakura would go home with little incident. The only people she could tell about the village would be Neji, Shikamaru, and Gaara as Sakura had personally vouched for them to Jiro who had agreed to let her tell them.

The Mito Village would remain a secret to everyone else and Sakura would work with them privately if needed in the future, setting up ways for them to help on missions without being detected and reported. She was to leave in a day when her strength returned.

A letter had already been sent by hawk to Neji explaining everything to him. Sakura now had time to regain her strength and relax in the small guest cottage they had provided her. She spent the night walking around the town with Jera, who had opened up to her after hearing her speak with Jiro, talking to her and getting to know about her life.

At the ramen stand later that evening, Jera told her about how she had first become affiliated with Mito Village.

"I used to be a shinobi working with a small village doing odd jobs. I was more of a mercenary than anything and I didn't like the work I was doing. It seemed like I was hurting more people than I was helping by collecting debts owed to the leader of the village."

"Eventually I learned he was wasting the people's money on his own personal gains and the people were poor enough. I finally decided enough was enough and killed him in his sleep. I then fled the village with my two brothers whom you met earlier. We were all mercenaries for hire for a while until we met someone who told us about Mito Village. He said it was a place where we could do good and help without having to start from the bottom and work our way up in a major village like Konoha."

She shot Sakura a sideways glance. "Don't get me wrong, my first thought was to go to Konoha and try to join into the shinobi program. I just didn't like the idea of having to obtain all those ranks I never earned being a mercenary in that village. This way, I'm working with Konoha and Suna and I don't have to worry about things like that. I'm helping people in my own way you know?" Sakura smiled and nodded to her, understanding her logic.

"It is definitely using good judgment to do what you feel is right. I wish I had a hundred more like you in Suna." Jera chuckled at this and gave her a soft smile.

"You know I might have to visit Suna soon. See you and the little one." She gestured to Sakura's stomach and smiled as Sakura gave her a halfhearted smile, the reminder of her condition once again forcing her to accept it into her mind.

"I would like that. I wouldn't mention my condition to my husband if you come anytime soon, he doesn't know." She nearly mumbled the last bit as Jera's eyebrow quirked up and her body shifted towards Sakura, indicting her surprise and attention.

"You haven't told him yet?" Sakura avoided her probing gaze.

"Well telling the _Kazekage_ you're pregnant so early in a marriage, and right before you go on a mission, would not have gone over well. He would have had the entire village in ruins before I even got out the door." Jera's mouth quirked into a smirk.

"Overprotective husband huh?" Sakura gave her a tired look.

"You have _no_ idea." She smiled and finished up her ramen, paying for it with money she had in her pack; leaving with Jera who walked her to the cottage before saying goodnight to her. Sakura walked in to the cottage wondering at how lucky she was to have been saved by people who were so welcoming and kind.

Two nights previous, back in Suna, Gaara had stood pacing the floor for the second night in a row. The last update from Neji was only that the disease was taking longer to cure than they had expected but other than that things were fine.

Temari had smiled at this news and turned to her brother with an I-told-you-so expression. "See Gaara? Nothing's wrong, it's all completely fine!" He acknowledged her with a turn of his head but did not stop his pacing as Temari merely shook her head and mumbled something about "Damn demon hormones making him become too worried and too possessive over her." Shikamaru had been sitting at the table in the kitchen observing this little exchange and had watched as his fiancée gave up trying to make Gaara see reason and retreated to the kitchen to wash dishes.

Though he didn't show it, he was also worried about Sakura, seeing as how everything he could discern from the mission briefing pointed towards it being some sort of a trap. He had run over a hundred different scenarios in his head since the moment he had gotten the briefing and none of them ended in anything satisfactory.

If his calculations were not enough to occupy his mind, Neji's report filled his thoughts with new worries and problems. Something seemed off to him about the way Neji had sent the report. He had read reports from Neji before, he knew his tone, the way her crafted his words, the details he included, he could pick out Neji's reports from a pile of a hundred others. (He could do that with most people's reports but was especially good with all of the Rookie Nine and Team Gai.)

The report Neji had sent them was short, but not succinct like reports that Neji sent while in dangerous situations where words and time could not be wasted. This report contained an unsettling feeling of omission, as if his words were crafted in a way to specifically leave out details that could describe and give them a feeling of the current situation he was in. He had reasoned, after mulling over each word in the report and factoring in what he knew about the Hyuuga and the way he operated and wrote his reports, that this report seemed like a report Neji would send if something had gone wrong and he was convinced he could handle the situation. If that was the case, Sakura could potentially be in danger.

This was why, as he listened to Temari grumbling in the kitchen, he saw a reason for Gaara to be worried and had worried of his own about Neji's report and Sakura's safety. He knew the Hyuuga would do everything in his power to keep Sakura safe but his worries were there to stay.

He also knew that Gaara knew nothing of how much danger Sakura could really be in if it came to a fight, he wondered what exactly was going through the mind of the pacing Kazekage. If he knew what Sakura was keeping secret, he wouldn't have sent her on the mission at all and probably would have her on some sort of constant watch by the ANBU or one of his siblings.

" _He also would have probably lost his mind."_

As it was, Shikamaru was left to worry and wonder about Neji's rather cryptic report by himself, as usual, and reminded himself to keep an eye on the redheaded Kazekage as he was still a bit of a loose cannon when it came to Sakura. If anything had gone wrong, he was going to be in the middle of a potentially major political incident. With a sigh and a mental grimace at his troublesome friends – friends who were soon to be relatives – he stood from his place at the table catching the eye of Temari as well as Gaara. With a stretch he shoved his hands into his pockets as per the usual and leaned back slightly his appearance that of typical Shikamaru ease.

"I think I'll take a walk." Temari gave him a confused look but as he glanced at her she knew not to press the matter further.

"Alright lazy ass, go get some exercise." She smiled a little and turned back to her dish washing as Shikamaru shook his head.

"Troublesome woman." He walked out of the house waving over his shoulder slightly to an extremely irritated Gaara and an indifferent seeming but actually curious Temari.

As soon as he was out of the house, he took to the rooftops, heading towards the message tower of Suna to send an urgent message to Neji regarding what was really going on with his mission.

Gaara watched out of the window as he saw Shikamaru disappear over the rooftops and scowled. Something was off. He could tell by the way Shikamaru had been thinking over things that he also had issues with Neji's report. A nagging feeling had been pulling at him all day as well and it was making him increasingly paranoid and antsy. It was as if his chakra was physically agitated in some way.

Sakura promised to contact him when she arrived in the village so why was Neji the one sending the report? Was she simply too busy or had something happened he was trying to cover up? With a furrowed brow he stalked past Temari and up the stairs to his bedroom, not stopping until he stood on the balcony looking out over part of the city as a figure moved far away on the rooftops headed in the direction of the Suna message tower. Evidently Shikamaru had much more than a walk on his mind and Gaara needed to know what he thought about the report, he knew Neji better than Gaara ever would. With no more than a moment's hesitation he disappeared silently above the city riding on a cloud of whispering sand.

Neji was nearing frantic now. It had been a day since he and his team of ANBU had returned to the village with no further leads on Sakura's whereabouts. They had scoured every inch of the base they had attacked but even Neji's Byakugan provided no answers. The only comfort brought to them was the miraculous recovery of all of the patients Sakura had tried to treat.

Five days had passed since they had left Suna for what was supposed to be only a diplomatic mission of sorts. He was sending out ANBU in pairs, having them expand their search as the others rested up, he himself was running on soldier pills and the amount of worry that was invading his usually straightforward thoughts.

On top of these problems, Neji had received a message from Shikamaru dated two days previous, from the day Sakura had been taken, asking him what was really going on and knew that his last report had been dissected by the Nara heir in a way that made him positively bristle.

 _"You gave no information on what is happening with the disease and how Sakura is faring. I know something has happened and if the Kazekage gets wind of it things will go downhill fast. Now send me a hawk and this time don't skimp on the details. If something went wrong I need to know what happened or we will be in the middle of a major political incident. Do not exclude details on how Sakura is faring and where she is at the precise moment you write the report. She is your main priority. Don't think for a moment I won't come out there and see what's going on myself._

 _I trust you Neji. You've been someone I could trust for a long time. Don't give me a reason to doubt you now."_

Neji read the lines with a heavy weight on his mind. He could afford only to wait for another twenty-four hours and only hoped his ANBU squads could find something pointing to where the pink haired Kazehime had been taken. As he stood to leave the place in which he was sitting, he noticed a hawk landing on a nearby message stand with a letter tied to its foot.

Somehow he felt as if his day had just changed.

Sakura awoke the morning after her arrival in Mito Village rejuvenated from the feeling of sleeping in a warm bed with the sweet smell of blossoms wafting in through the open window in the bedroom of the cottage. The whole scene before her was a myriad of light pastels and sweet fragrances that almost made her feel like she was back in Konoha. With a sigh she sat up in the bed and swung her feet over the side, knowing that she would be returning to the village of her mission that same day with the help of Jera and her brothers.

As she ate a breakfast of cereal she found in the kitchen, she thought about Neji and what he must be thinking about her capture. She wondered, with a sudden fear, if he had told Gaara what had transpired in the past few days. She knew he could still be dangerous when it came to her safety and hoped for the sake of Suna and the ANBU's lives that Neji had been somewhat smart and not his usual protocol obsessed self and had withheld at least most of the information from the Kazekage.

Of course, there was still Shikamaru, who would have no doubt realized something had gone wrong if Neji had sent a report saying all was well without giving details about her location and health. She only hoped he had enough sense to deter Gaara's worry for at least as long as she was still missing from her original mission.

She also hoped the hawk carrying news of her rescue had reached Neji in time for him to stop the truth from being sent to Suna. If it hadn't, everyone's head would be on the chopping block.

With all of these thoughts swirling in her mind, Sakura's relaxed mood came crashing down to earth, her sleep-addled brain suddenly working to capacity as she finished her meal.

After a few hours of forced rest in which she had meditated to help get her still low chakra levels to continue to replenish, she had joined Jera, her brothers, and Jiro at the gates of the village; ready to depart upon a great dog-like animal that would carry her much faster than any other means of transportation save for perhaps aerial transport. There were three more creatures like it nearby, all ready to depart carrying Jera and her brothers. Jiro smiled at her as she was helped on to the back of one of the creatures.

"Thank you for agreeing to work with us Sakura-sama. We will honor your agreement well." Sakura looked at Jiro with a soft expression and shook her head.

"Thank you for saving me. I am in your debt." Jiro smiled and patted her leg as Jera and the others mounted their creatures and turned to look at her.

"Ready to depart? We should reach the village by sundown at the latest." Sakura nodded and the great beast upon which she sat took off in a run at a word from Jera, leaving the waving figure of Jiro and Mito Village in the dust behind them.

Shikamaru sat on the steps of the message center three days after he had sent his message to Neji. He was currently reading a very troubling, yet at the same time relieving, chain of messages sent by said ANBU member in regards to what had happened with Sakura.

He explained how they had been attacked and how Sakura had been captured. This had alarmed Shikamaru who furiously read the rest of the letter, only relaxing when he had read the attached message and Neji's elaboration and understood that Sakura was safe and her anonymous rescuers were returning her to the mission.

Sakura had written a note at the bottom of the letter reassuring Neji that she was safe and would be in the village in two days, tomorrow seeing as how Shikamaru had gotten the letter a day later than Neji. At the bottom of the letter a small note was scrawled after her signature.

 _Whatever you do, don't tell Gaara._

With a sigh of relief Shikamaru closed his eyes and leaned back on the steps. Sakura was safe.

He barely had time to assess all of the information before a sudden shadow darkened his face. The shadow wielder reluctantly opened his eyes to see a frowning Kazekage towering over him.

"Before you speak Shikamaru I know you knew something was wrong with Neji's report. That being said, you are going to tell me everything you now know in _precise_ detail." Shikamaru looked up at the scowling red head and sighed, deciding telling him now would be a hell of a lot better than telling him later, Sakura's request be damned. With a sigh he motioned for Gaara to sit and only after he had done so did he start explaining the entire story.

About halfway through Gaara was on his feet, making his way down the stairs in a panicked fury, his chakra flaring dangerously as a predatory growl escaped his lips in hatred, anger, and worry for the fate of his wife in the hands of the defilers who dared to lay a finger on her. Behind him Shikamaru called out quickly, risking life and limb as he grabbed on to Gaara's crimson coat and explained hurriedly that Sakura was alright now. Gaara's sand, which had flared in anger, settled back against his skin as he stilled.

"What?!" Gaara growled as he looked at Shikamaru's outstretched hand, containing two letters that had obviously been opened and read by him already.

With narrowed eyes he took the letters and began to read them, his angry face softening minutely as he read the words of not only Neji, but of Sakura herself, saying she was indeed fine and would be back in the village in two days' time.

Shikamaru watched as he finished the letters and then turned towards him with a determined and rather terrifying look in his eyes. All at once Shikamaru felt an overwhelming chakra emanating from Gaara that was entirely his own chakra but dark. When he opened his mouth, his voice had a gravely tone to it that sounded ancient, terrifying, and deep.

"I want someone to watch for her return and the moment she gets here take her to the hospital to be checked on. Alert me at the first sign of her arrival." His darkened eyes glared into Shikamaru's as he swiftly whirled back down the stairs in a flurry of crimson and sand. His rational brain immediately concluded that Gaara would be volatile and unpredictable until Sakura returned.

Gaara had taken to the sky once again, using his sand to lift him and take him directly to the one place in Suna he could escape. He placed himself high above the people of Suna on the rooftop of the Kazekage building where he had spent many a sleepless night watching the moon. Though outwardly an angry and concerned expression lay on his face, inwardly he was waging a heated battle against his better judgement.

A massive part of him, the possessive part fueled partially by their bond, wanted nothing more than to go out and destroy the people who dared lay a hand on his wife, on his mate. This same part wanted to find Sakura herself and hide her away behind the walls of Suna so no one else could get to her. The pulling sensation he had felt on his chakra had been a warning of her being in danger, the pull was because of their bond, he recognized that now.

This possessive part, headed by a growling Shukaku, was quickly being squashed by reason and logic that Gaara had forced himself to use over the years to gain control over Shukaku like Naruto had with the Kyuubi.

Gaara sighed as he felt Shukaku and his overwhelming protectiveness recede until both were easier to control. As he looked out across the windblown village, he silently willed Sakura to return quickly as he knew his sanity was still not perfect regardless of the fact that only a tiny bit of Shukaku still remained inside of him.

Sakura's eyes had drooped as she had been lulled to sleep after hours of the steady motion of the creature running beneath her and the lingering effects of the chakra cuffs on her system. She had fallen into a light dreamless sleep, confident that she was being protected and trusting her companions, and had only awoken when the movement of the creature beneath her stopped.

She sat up as she heard Jera's voice.

"We're near the village. It is right beyond those trees." Sakura looked at Jera and her brothers who were already on the ground. She nodded and slid off the creature she was sitting on as it disappeared into a puff of smoke. Jera smiled at Sakura as she dusted herself off a little and adjusted her packs and the bandages she still wore around her wrists and leg, both things she decided were not worth her wasting chakra to heal.

"Well I guess this is it then." Jera nodded and Sakura looked at her with compassion in her emerald eyes. "I wish you all the best of happiness in life and please, do visit me some time." Jera grinned before putting a hand on her shoulder and looking her in the eyes once more.

"It's a promise. Now come on, let's get you back to the village."

The group walked through the remaining trees until coming upon the village where ANBU stood watching for her. As soon as one saw her he rushed over and stood in front of her as the others disappeared, presumably to fetch Neji.

"Kazehime-sama, are you injured?" Sakura shook her head as more ANBU came running with a surprisingly disheveled looking Neji in their midst. As soon as he was in front of her and the others he dropped into a low bow.

She blinked at him in surprise as the rest of the ANBU quickly followed suit.

"Forgive us. We did not do our jobs and you were allowed to be captured and put in a position where you could have been killed. Our actions are inexcusable." The ANBU continued to bow as Sakura let out a loud sigh that caused Neji to tilt his masked faced upwards to look at her.

"Stop it. I'm back now and I'm alright so stop groveling and get ready to take me home." Neji straightened upright and nodded, turning to Jera and her brothers.

"Thank you for doing what we could not and for returning the Kazehime." Jera nodded and looked over at Sakura with a smile before turning back to Neji.

"We only did the duty we were given. You can thank us by letting us to leave un-followed, we wish to remain a secret." Neji nodded as Jera gave Sakura one last glance before taking off back into the trees not followed by a single ANBU.

Sakura immediately set off to check on the village, despite Neji's vehement protest, cutting him off and instead going to speak with the officials who revealed that they had been threatened into calling for help as Sakura had expected. After forcing the officials to stop groveling and the former patients to remain in their beds, Sakura was utterly exhausted. Her chakra had only recovered to about 25% and was replenishing much slower than expected. This was making her irritated and sluggish, both of which Neji was quick to notice but did not comment on.

They spent the night in the village in order for Sakura to rest up for the long journey back to Suna as they would be traveling a little slower to accommodate her. She had insisted she was fine but Neji would hear nothing of it and had essentially tuned her out as she protested retaliating only to be lectured with what she knew was the lecture she had given him about chakra depletion a few times before. Deciding it was probably the best use of judgment to just go along with him at this point, she reluctantly agreed and turned in for the night.

In her room Sakura let herself indulge in a long shower before applying a new dressing to her wrists and leg and changing into a clean pair of shorts and an old t-shirt.

As she leaned over and turned the light off, plunging the room into darkness, she stopped and sighed as her eyes tried to adjust to the pitch blackness of the room. Nervousness crept into her mind as she thought immediately of her homecoming the next day and about facing her husband. What on Earth was she going to say to him? Her hand came to rest on her stomach as she let out a long sigh.

 _"How am I going to tell him?"_ She thought as she rolled over in the bed to face the wall. Her mind was still racing but her body was too tired to stay awake and she soon slipped into a dreamless sleep.

The morning came with a knock on her door and Neji's voice stating that they were leaving in twenty minutes.

Sakura sat up, stretching out and wincing as the bruises and cuts she still retained were stretched against her muscles. With a huff she stood and began to put on her usual attire before trudging into the bathroom and brushing out her tangled pink locks. After deeming them acceptable she tied her hetai-ate in her hair, happy to have found it in her pack, and strapped her packs on. With a final glance about the room she turned the cool metal knob on the door and stepped out into the hall.

Before she could so much as utter the phrase "Good morning" two ANBU members had flanked her.

"Certainly taking precautions huh?" She mused quietly. One ANBU member turned his head towards her and whispered:

"It's Captain's orders." Sakura nodded as they entered the tiny lobby of the motel where Neji and the other ANBU stood waiting, including the Suna ANBU Captain that was leading their expedition though Neji had obviously become the true leader when Sakura was captured. As soon as he saw her, Neji turned and began walking out the door.

Sakura rolled her eyes at his aloof mannerisms and followed as the entire group walked right out of village with the bewildered eyes of the few locals who were awake following them until they reached the very edge.

With a single glance back the group took off running with Sakura centered directly in the middle of the group protected on all sides by ANBU guards. She usually couldn't stand formations like this but in this case she knew there was absolutely no use arguing it.

Hours stretched on forever in Sakura's mind as she panted and sweat under the hot sun before finally, they came to a stop for a break. Sakura felt slightly hurried as she ate with Neji practically breathing down her back and encouraging her to eat more than usual to keep her strength up.

With a slight eye narrow and a stuck out tongue directed to his general vicinity, Sakura complied and ate more food than the rest of the group before being ushered up to start running again.

A few hours more and the familiar high rock formations of Suna were coming into view on the horizon and Sakura knew that she was almost home.

Gaara had only gone home to retrieve some documents before returning to his office in the Kazekage building without so much as a word to his siblings or Shikamaru. Immediately trying to keep his anxious mind off of Sakura's wellbeing, he dove in to the mound of paperwork on his desk.

Hours of reading and signing papers later, a small timid knock came on his door. With a sigh he called the person in, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. A feminine voice broke his thoughts as Matsuri told him that there was one more paper to sign that had just been brought in.

Gaara nodded and took the paper from her as Matsuri left the depressed and angry looking Kazekage alone in his darkened office.

He read the paper languidly and thought through it analytically before signing it and setting it in the pile of things he had approved. The paper was a simple request for an expansion of a hotel in the lower part of Suna near the gates. Gaara had known about the planned expansion for a while so it was not a surprise to him and he didn't really need to think on it very much in order to sign it through. With a small stretch of his arms Gaara went back to signing papers trying his best to keep his mind bored and focused on the task at hand and not on Sakura.

As the clock in his office chimed that it was now officially two in the afternoon, Gaara sighed and leaned back in his chair looking over the mass of papers he had read and signed. The week of piled up paperwork was now complete and with a silent movement he had stood and walked to the door telling Matsuri he had finished them all and they were ready to be taken away.

She looked incredibly surprised but nodded, going into his office and taking away the papers as Gaara sat with his back to her, looking out the window that showed him the city all the way to the huge gates of Suna.

With nothing left to do but wonder about Sakura, Gaara let himself stand and leave the office. He walked past Matsuri and out the doors into the blinding sunlight and calm air that usually lightened his mood. Days without wind were extremely rare in Suna and he enjoyed them when they came around.

Today, however, there was no comfort in the sun or the still air. Gaara turned and jumped onto the roof of the Kazekage building making the guards that stood watch on a lower ledge nearby shake their heads and continue their watch with one mumbling. "He's sure been on edge lately, it's almost like before."

Taking a seat on the hot surface of the Kazekage building; Gaara looked out over the city and watched the people below as he saw children running to and fro and people glancing at them with amused faces as they talked amongst themselves. Suna was a much more peaceful village now that he was in charge and had been that way for a long time.

He was proud that the people within his city were open to him now and had come out of their toughened shells ever since they had seen him save them all from the Akatsuki members who had taken and killed him. The people of Suna were a hard nut to crack, forced to be tough by their environment, government and years of despicable practices, but slowly they were shaking off some of their inhospitable tendencies.

The people had changed once again when Sakura became their Kazehime as they all loved her easygoing ways and how she was never aloof or impolite to them. Like the people in Konoha, they all had grown to love their pink haired medic.

Small cries came from below him and immediately Gaara looked down to see a little boy fall and get laughed at by the others playing with him as they all ran away, still laughing, leaving the smaller boy behind in the sand he had fallen on. With a slight scowl Gaara jumped down from the roof and cushioned his fall using his sand until he stood right in front of the boy who was picking himself up out of the sand with a small sniff.

"Are you alright?" Gaara inquired as his turquoise eyes scanned the boy's form. He was really not good with children and never had the presence nor patience for them.

The boy stood quickly, wiping his eyes on his sleeve and looking down at his feet. Gaara crouched down in front of him looking at the boy's face as he raised his head to look at his Kazekage with a slight bit of discomfort and confusion etched on his features. "Are you hurt?" He asked calmly as the boy shook his head.

"No Kazekage-sama." Gaara gave him what he hoped was the small smile that he had seen Sakura use around small children to comfort them. It seemed to work as the boy looked fully at the redhead before him, a little more comfortable now.

"Were those other children your friends?" The boy shook his head.

"No they are my older sister's friends. They never let me play with them so when they said I could join in tag today I was really happy. But they tricked me because when it was my turn to be it they pushed me down and ran off laughing." Gaara frowned a little and looked over his shoulder towards the direction where the kids had gone.

"We'll go talk to them then perhaps you can see the village from the Kazekage building." The little boy's face lit up in a bewildered smile as he nodded. Gaara himself was a little surprised at his impulsive actions, charting it up to having been influenced by Sakura.

"I'd love to Kazekage-sama! My mother is at the store nearby I'll take you to her." Gaara stood up and shook his head.

"I want to go have a talk with those kids." The little boy nodded as Gaara looked down at him."Do you know where they were going?" He nodded again and pointed down the road.

"They always go to the sweet shop after school I think they were going there when we were playing tag." With a nod Gaara followed the boy through the streets as they rounded the corner to the sweet shop where the group of kids sat eating lollipops. Gaara approached them with the smaller boy behind him as the children all stopped laughing as one of the girls pointed him out.

"Kazekage-sama." They said in unison as they stood and bowed to him in respect. Gaara crossed his arms and stared down at them making them all cower immediately.

"Did you trick this boy?" He asked as the little boy peaked out from behind him.

One of the girls in the group scowled angrily at the little boy and grabbed his arm as the little boy protested.

"Hika why did you bother Kazekage-sama when you fell in the sand?! He's too busy with important things to worry about a little wimp who fell and scraped his knee." Gaara watched as she looked up at him with a straight face. "I'm sorry my little pest of a brother annoyed you Kazekage-sama." Gaara scowled down at her as the girls face suddenly seemed to grow very pale.

"Sit." He commanded and the girl complied, quietly sitting back down with her friends. Gaara looked at them all with disapproval. "You tricked him into playing with you and then you left him in the sand after you pushed him down. I do not condone such behavior from the people who live in Suna. This is not how you should treat your younger brother or anyone for that matter. Apologize to Hika, all of you."

The children all looked terrified as they nodded and apologized to Hika who was looking at Gaara in pure admiration.

"You, Hika's sister. You will come with me to go find your mother and I will explain how poorly you treated your brother." The girl hung her head and nodded, obviously embarrassed as passersby were watching the scene in awe at their Kazekage's unusual involvement in the matter. Some immediately thought of the irony of his words as he was the bane of his siblings' existence when they were younger and the people of Suna knew that the older Sand siblings had been terrified of their younger brother. The girl led Gaara and Hika to the store where her mother was shopping.

As they walked inside, Hika's mother spotted the Kazekage with her children and stood with a positively mortified expression on her face.

"You are their mother?" He asked as the woman squeaked out a yes. He continued with a suitably serious expression."Your daughter and her friends had been bullying Hika. I have already spoken with them but felt that I should tell you as well." Hika's mother looked shocked and then angry as she turned to her daughter and pulled her over to her side.

"Thank you Kazekage-sama. I had no idea she and her friends were bullying Hika. I will have a talk with her later." Gaara nodded and then looked down at Hika who was smiling up at him.

"I promised your son I would show him Suna from the Kazekage building." Hika's mother once again looked confused but gave a small smile and nodded.

"Oh yes of course Kazekage-sama that is very generous." Gaara nodded before leaving the store with Hika who was grinning from ear to ear as they traveled up the road to the Kazekage building.

"Stand still, we're going up to the roof." Hika nodded and let out a small squeak of excitement as Gaara's sand lifted them up to the roof of the building.

The boy was ecstatic to have the chance to look out across Suna and spent the whole time pointing out objects and gleefully describing his favorites.

A few minutes passed before Gaara decided to take Hika back down to the ground so he could return to his mother. Once there Hika surprised Gaara with a toothy grin.

"Thank you so much Kazekage-sama! I can't wait to tell my friends all about this!" Gaara didn't know how to react but nodded as Hika ran off grinning from ear to ear.

As he watched the child disappear, Gaara thought about Sakura and knew that he had only intervened because it was what she would have done. Children still unnerved him but the young boy hadn't been bad to deal with. As he turned to walk down to his house, he heard a voice calling after him and footsteps running towards him.

"Kazekage-sama! The Kazehime's group has just been spotted outside of Suna!" Gaara had disappeared in a swirl of red coat as he took off towards the gates of Suna.

Sakura was almost home.

End of Chapter 12


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

A weary Sakura turned her green eyed gaze up to the towering rocks that meant that she was indeed a few moments away from being home. She was completely drained and exhausted, her steps fumbling slightly as her body struggled to regain the last bit of her precious depleted chakra as she was forced to muster whatever strength she had left. She'd stupidly been using her chakra to keep pace, not wanting to slow the group even though she did need to continue to recover.

Neji reported that the guard at the gate post had disappeared minutes earlier, no doubt to find Gaara. This lifted Sakura's spirits for a single moment before the reality of her situation came crashing back down around her.

Her feet felt like tons of lead in her sandals and something had been grazing her thigh for the past hour. She was officially over this entire mission. Being captured was embarrassing enough, but the added insult of having her chakra taken away and having to stress about something that should not have been inside of her, well, that was the icing on the cake.

Sakura was angry at herself for being so useless and frustrated that she was still so exhausted that she hadn't realized her steps were growing slower and faltering even more until a slender hand curled around her bicep and steadied her.

Pink hair whipped past her pale face as Sakura glanced over at the hawk mask next to her, knowing that it was Neji who was steadying her. She didn't shrug him off as she usually would have done, but instead welcomed the support to push her along. He was forcing it anyways, his hand curled a little too severely around her bicep.

She knew he was still angry at himself for letting her get captured and was most likely going over every moment of the mission in his mind. She knew how much pride he had in his abilities and status and how he took care of his teammates and friends. They weren't very close but the Rookie Nine was still like family, even if not all of the members were overly friendly with one another.

The gates were towering over them oppressively now as the Suna guard detail stood at attention a few yards in front of them, awaiting their approach. As the guards were about to move forwards to meet them, Sakura's eyes locked on to a crimson figure quickly making his way to their group.

"Gaara!" Sakura's voice came out raspier than she had intended as she detached herself from Neji's arm with a jolt, only to have him grab at her arm once more as her legs faltered.

Gaara watched as the ANBU in the hawk mask reached out and grabbed Sakura as her legs fumbled and her voice reached his ears. Immediately he ran faster, his eyes also noticing the bandages on her wrists and leg.

He was in front of Sakura in seconds, pulling her into an embrace that she had initiated by launching herself into him. She couldn't do anything but grip onto his coat and bury her face into his chest as she let his arms support her weight. He was gripping her around the waist, his arms encircling her as the ANBU watched with respectful silence.

"You're home." His voice reverberated through Sakura's small frame as his words made the last bit of her strength disappear.

Her weight on his chest suddenly increased as Gaara pulled back quickly, gripping her sides as the worry in his eyes increased. Sakura could only stare at him with a smile, her voice seemingly leaving with her strength as Gaara turned his gaze to Neji for answers.

"She is fatigued and her chakra was completely drained. I haven't noticed any signs of any illness or injuries other than the superficial bruises, a cut on her leg and the chakra suppressive burns on her wrists." Gaara nodded as Sakura looked up at him and sighed.

"I'm ok now but I really need to rest." She murmured in a voice that made Gaara's eyes narrow. There was no way that she was ok if someone had managed to drain her of chakra.

"I'm taking her to the hospital for a checkup. Thank you for returning her safely." Neji nodded and walked stiffly back to his squadron, leaving the Suna ANBU to watch their Kazekage pick their Kazehime up into his arms and walk off with Sakura protesting mildly as Gaara ignored her.

All of the Suna ANBU were more comfortable with this exchange than most would have thought. They had gone from having a Kazekage who was seldom seen and rarely out and about to one who would pick his wife up and carry her to the hospital after a mission. The Konoha ANBU, who only remembered Gaara from the Chunin Exams were suitably shocked at the entire situation, though they remained silent.

An hour and a half later and Sakura sat rolling her eyes at her red headed husband who was leaning against the wall near her bed. His unwavering and incredibly stern expression had not changed since they had arrived and it was beginning to make her uneasy.

He was silent, but she knew he was just itching to talk to her and she was just not in the mood. She had already had the nurse take her blood, change the bandages on her wrist, heal the cut on her leg, do a full checkup, and a chakra scan which revealed exactly what she had known already. Her chakra was low and recuperating.

"Is this really necessary I'm only fatigued because I was forced to run all day after having most of my chakra drained." Gaara gave her a look that closed off all room for complaint as Sakura sighed in frustration.

Eventually the nurse came back in telling her she was all clear to go home and to be sure to rest up as when her chakra had been restricted it had done a little bit of damage to her chakra flow that wouldn't heal for at least a few more days. Sakura looked over at Gaara with a raised eyebrow and a pointed look as he nodded to the nurse.

"We will go home then." Sakura took time to slide on her clothes before standing up and leaning on Gaara's arm as they walked out of the hospital into the Suna heat that Sakura had definitely not missed. Somehow even in the small village still within the desert's reach it was shadier and cooler.

Gaara walked slowly with Sakura who had practically hissed at him when he had attempted to scoop her into his arms once more. She was fatigued not dying after all. Her reputation as a kunoichi would be in tatters if she let fatigue get to her.

Her face was screwed up into a look of mild annoyance as internally she was debating when, where, and how to announce the 'big news'. He was obviously still pissed about the entire mission and she knew she was going to hear about some of it and that she would have to explain some things to him but she also realized that hiding things from him would only make it that much worse.

 **"Better to do it sooner than later."** Inner quipped as Sakura's face screwed up even more.

Gaara had noticed his slow moving wife's face becoming more and more contorted the further they walked through the village. He was taking back paths and alleys so they wouldn't run into anyone and he couldn't help but wonder if something more than the mission was bothering her. Silently he stopped them, causing Sakura to stare in green eyed bewilderment at her husband.

"What?" His turquoise eyes stared unblinkingly at her face.

"You seemed like you were thinking about something. Was it the mission?" Sakura's eyes widened almost imperceptibly but quickly returned to normal. This movement hadn't gone unnoticed by Gaara who knew immediately something was off.

Sakura shook her head and plastered on a small smile. Gaara's stern look told her she was not fooling him at all so she let the smile slip slightly and sighed.

"It's not the mission and it isn't incredibly important, just something I'm running logistics on. I'll tell you later ok?" He nodded but his mood did not change as he opened the door to their house just in time for Temari to come sprinting around the corner to grab Sakura in a hug that Sakura felt in nearly all of her bruises.

"Sakura! Shikamaru told me what happened! Are you alright?" She patted Sakura's sides as if checking for any signs of injury and turned a quirked eyebrow and a stern glance to Gaara when she came to her bandaged wrists.

"Chakra cuffs." He growled as he observed his sister's slight preening.

"I'm fine." Sakura waved her off as Temari's other eyebrow shot up and she stared at Sakura as if to question who she needed to beat up.

Sakura glanced past Temari and was happy to see a rather relived looking Shikamaru standing behind her. Sakura walked over to him with a smile and hugged him tight as he whispered quietly,

"Glad you both are ok." Sakura pulled back and looked at him with a pained smile that was met with a suddenly furrowed brow.

Kankuro saved her from explanation by strolling casually into the room before proceeding to pat her on the back and tell her he was happy she'd made it back in one piece.

"Well if the family reunion is over, I've made dinner for us all. Sakura you must be hungry, go get cleaned up and then we'll eat." Temari beamed as Sakura looked at Gaara who merely nodded and leaned down close to her ear as they walked upstairs.

"Eat, then you'll rest.

Sakura returned with Gaara to the table a few minutes later, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated after a quick shower and a change of clothes. She had decided to forgo the bandages, the burns on her wrist had been treated by the nurse and were now just angry red splotches. They sat down at the table as the group watched Temari bring in a teriyaki platter.

The meal was silent at first with only the sound of chewing and chopsticks picking up food until Temari's voice broke the stillness.

"The hospital has been doing well, there haven't been any major incidents from what I've heard."

Sakura raised her eyes to glance at her and smiled. "That's good to hear, I'm looking forwards to getting back to work."

Kankuro let out a small chuckle. "I heard the little kids from the Academy keep asking if Sakura-sama will come and play with them again. You wouldn't know anything about that would you?" Gaara raised an eyebrow at Sakura as all eyes looked to her for an explanation. She merely shrugged.

"I stopped by the Academy once on my way home and played a game of bases with them once. Their Sensei was asleep and I had time to kill." Kankuro snickered as Temari hit his arm.

"Well the children seem to love you now. You're good with them and it's good for them to look up to someone as responsible as you." Her sentence was punctuated with a glance towards Kankuro who was rolling his eyes. Sakura nodded to Temari as Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at her from across the table. She looked up to see him doing so and narrowed her eyes. Shikamaru shook his head and reaching for the bowl of rice Temari had passed to him.

Dinner progressed rather languidly with Sakura recounting her capture and relaying the entire story to them, leaving out the name of the village that helped her of course, along with its location. She merely described it as a village with a few shinobi that helped her out. Temari was glad that they were loyal to Konoha as if they were rogues they might not have been so merciful or helpful. Gaara agreed as the dinner wound down to an end as Sakura finished her story.

"For someone that went through all of that you remained pretty unscathed." Temari stated simply. "Though that's what you'd expect from an amazing medic." Sakura shook her head bemused and glanced at Shikamaru, silently letting him know by her expression that she needed to talk to him. With a small clearing of his throat Shikamaru stretched and stood up from his place at the table.

"I'll take the dishes into the kitchen. Kankuro I think it's your turn to wash them." Kankuro groaned and then mumbled something about unfair chore duty before helping Shikamaru carry the plates to the kitchen sink. Sakura helped as well, though Temari protested that it was not needed, and then walked to the living room with Shikamaru as in the kitchen Kankuro could be heard being reprimanded by Gaara's cool tone of voice explaining that he was washing the dishes wrong.

Sakura was, in that moment, grateful that the odd domestic moment was keeping Gaara occupied and his attention off of her for the time being. She knew he was still frustrated and a bit angry about the entire mission but she really needed to talk to Shikamaru, alone.

Shikamaru sat on the couch and turned on the television as Sakura took a spot next to him and kept her eyes glued to the screen. "You haven't told him." He whispered. Sakura sighed.

"I haven't had the chance, I did just get back from being embarrassingly captured so it was the last thing on my mind. What do I even say Shika?" Shikamaru ran a hand across his hair and sighed, muttering something about it being "Troublesome." Sakura immediately thought about how much his habits hadn't changed since they were young.

"Telling it to him while you're alone would be best and doing it soon to prevent anything leaking out before you're ready is logical. There's absolutely no sense in having Temari and Kankuro there to make things seem worse than they are. You know how much Temari would over-react to it, troublesome woman." Sakura nodded.

"You're right about that." Her face turned somber as she looked down at her hands. "But Shikamaru I don't know what to say or how to say it. Is he ever going to forgive me for being so careless?" Shikamaru's face hardened as he stared at her.

"I know you and you aren't careless and if he blames anything on you for any reason I will not hesitate to step in. He may not understand at first but he cares for you Sakura, more than I think he's ever cared for anything or anyone. This might have been a mistake at first but you've made your choice and it's your decision. He's in a vulnerable state since the mission and he won't risk doing anything that could cause him to lose you again. Telling him now might not be the worst idea. It would give him a reason to keep you close." Sakura sighed but forced a smile just as Gaara walked in the room.

"I am glad to see you smile Sakura." She looked up at her husband as Shikamaru pretended to watch the screen.

"Well I'm home so why wouldn't I be happy?" The redheaded Kazekage gave her a stoic look as Sakura stood up and grabbed on to his arm. "Gaara, can we go for a walk? I feel like I need to get some fresh air."

"You should be resting." He stated as Sakura's face momentarily fell.

"I just want to get some air before I do. I promise I'll rest when we get home." Gaara stared at her for a moment but conceded with a nod as Sakura looked simultaneously relieved and slightly jittery and told him to wait a moment while she grabbed something.

Shikamaru's eyebrow raised as he followed her movements with his brown gaze. She really did take advice to heart some times.

With a nod, Gaara walked towards the door as Sakura slipped into her office opening the top drawer and pulling out the picture she had put there a while before. She then returned to Gaara with a smile and took his arm for support as they stepped outside into the dry Suna heat.

The sun was low in the sky, but the sand beneath them still held much of the day's heat and radiated it off onto those who stepped upon it.

Sakura could feel the warmth on her toes as she walked, leaning on her taller husband who had a blank look on his face that Sakura wished she could copy. Her own face must have looked somewhat calm but in reality she felt quite the opposite.

Her mind was in a frenzy of how to tell him about her predicament while still being able to remain working and protecting Suna as she had been. It would take every ounce of persuasive skill she had to keep the Kazekage from flying off the handle.

Gaara noticed Sakura's uneasiness and stopped them both, causing Sakura to look up with a start. "What is it Sakura?"

Sakura stared as her mind worked frantically, only managing a weak smile on her face. "Nothing I just, wanted to go somewhere quiet to talk for a while and get some air. I haven't seen you in a week and you seem like you wanted to talk." Gaara pulled her to his side and held on to her.

"Do you want to go to the cliff again? I have the blankets stored up there still." Sakura agreed, remembering the beauty of the little outcropping Gaara had shown her the night before she left for the mission. Perhaps the good memories associated with that outcropping would help her feel calmer and soften the blow.

She had barely gripped his coat when she felt his sand lift them into the air and transport them across the city to where the passage to the outcropping lay hidden.

Once there, Gaara spread out the blankets upon which Sakura quickly sat and looked out at the sunset over the city for a moment as her husband studied her rather than the landscape in front of him.

Her hair was short as usual, and hung in soft pink locks about her head kissing the tender pale skin of her neck. His eyes traveled down this expanse to the place where a small red kanji lay at the juncture of her neck meeting her creamy white shoulder. The turquoise gaze traced down both of her arms noticing the red marks marring the pale surface of her skin as they supported her in her reclined position. He reached out a hand and laid it upon her arm, gently stroking her wrist as Sakura turned to look at him with a small smile gracing her pale, pink lips.

Her jade eyes looked to be one solid color but in the close contact and the evening lighting Gaara could see they were actually flecked with deeper spots of emerald. Her nose was a gentle slope on her face, not marred by any imperfections from the top of her brow to the base of her chin. With a sudden movement Gaara leaned forwards and captured her lips in his, gently and carefully in a way that he hoped conveyed the indescribable and frighteningly new feeling he had been feeling in his chest since he knew she was safe.

"Gaara." She mumbled against his lips as he pulled back and stared into her eyes.

"Let me." Sakura was taken aback at his tone and his actions. His face conveyed that he needed this contact now, and that he was trying to keep everything he wanted to say from spilling out of his lips. She knew that he blamed himself for everything about the mission and was schooling himself in this way so that he wouldn't take any of it out on her. She realized then, for what seemed like the hundredth time, that he had changed so very much from the person she had known before she had fallen for him.

Noticing that he was still waiting for some sign of approval, she leaned into him and wrapped her arms around Gaara's neck as he lay back on the blanket and she lay on his chest for a moment as her nerves danced around in her stomach. She heard him sigh a sigh that spelled both relief and resignation that now was the time for him to forgive himself slightly now that she was safe.

Unfortunately for him, Sakura knew that now was the time for her to say something. Now, when they were so relaxed, now was the time to tell him about the mistake she had made.

"Gaara, do you like children?" She wavered slightly in her words as Gaara merely stroked her hair calmly. He sighed.

"I have been asked this before." He looked at her hair for a moment before realizing that she was still waiting for his answer. "In a way, I do not mind them. They are the future shinobi who will be serving Suna and protecting it, creating new shinobi to continue that legacy." He paused. "Their innocence is enviable. They always seem to be ignorant of all of the worlds evil, for the most part. That it something I never understood." He thought his wife's question a little out of sorts but regarded it as a sequence to another question she would ask. He waited for her to say something and eventually she did.

"I like their laughter. I remember being a child in Konoha. I always used to laugh with my friends, my real friends, outside of my school classes. Shikamaru and Ino and Choji when I was little, and then Naruto and the others when I grew older. I know it was very different from you and I wish I could have given you a childhood you deserved. But maybe I can help with that in a way." Sakura had removed herself from him, suddenly sitting up as he looked at her with a quizzical expression and sat up as well. _"He must know something is going on by now."_

"In what way?" His eyes seemed to bore into her but she just couldn't meet his gaze. She sighed and leaned back on his chest for a moment before speaking again. Gaara still seemed alert as Sakura tried her very best to relax so as to keep him calm as well. In truth, she felt like she was back at the day of her first Chunin Exam, terrified and very much out of her league.

"Gaara, I wanted to ask you, or I guess tell you… something." There was a pause before Gaara's voice broke the stillness.

"Hmm? What was it then?" Slowly, Sakura pulled back and looked at him, her heart beating fast in her chest as her lips fumbled to form words.

"Do you want to- I mean would you- what would you say if-." The ever strong and direct kunoichi Gaara knew was stumbling over her words as she looked everywhere but his face.

Something was very wrong and Gaara looked at her with a questioning stare, trying his best to make eye contact with his flustered wife.

"Sakura, what is it? You mentioned children, are you asking to become a Sensei? You are needed at the hospital but on the side if you wanted to be with the children occasionally teaching them medical protocol I cou-" Sakura cut him off with a shake of her head.

He waited as she pushed a pebble around the round with her toe. "Gaara what would you do if I said I wanted a child?" Her voice was nearly a whisper as she continued to avoid his probing gaze.

Gaara stared at her with his black rimmed eyes and blinked slowly for a moment taking in what his wife had just asked before responding in a slight stupor.

"Sakura, do you want a child?" Gently he reached up and turned her chin to face him, uncertainty clearly present in her eyes just as confusion was present in his. "Was that what you were avoiding asking me?" She had barely looked into his eyes before she suddenly and extremely uncharacteristically began to cry silent tears. Gaara was immediately on guard and vastly out of his comfort zone.

Alarmed and serious, Gaara gripped her arms. "Sakura what is going on? Is something medically wrong?" His eyes darkened as a thought came rushing over him at his wife's uncharacteristic reaction. His sister had once mentioned that some forms of torture could result in the inability to conceive and that rape was common in such situations. During his first year as Kazekage, a kunoichi had been subjected to such conditions on a mission, but had not reported it extensively. He found out when his sister had come into the office in a rage and explained what the kunoichi had omitted from her report and why the medical reports were sent to him as well. He had personally presided over and took part in the interrogations, an subsequent executions, once his ANBU brought the men responsible to Suna.

"Did they hurt you?! Did they lay a hand on you?!" He hissed out these words as his temper and chakra flared around them, sand automatically swirling in protection.

Sakura looked up with a start, tears streaking down her face as she realized what a massive mess she had created.

"No Gaara, calm down please, they didn't touch me at all, not in that way! This is my fault, my carelessness got me into a mess and I…I don't know what to do or what you'll think." Her tears started to fall again but she viciously brushed them away, cursing her hormones to the depths of oblivion for causing the situation to be worse than it already was. Gaara had removed his hands from her arms the moment she had moved.

Gaara's confusion was heightened by her tears and the fear that had crept into her voice. His sand stilled and fell back to the ground as Sakura continued to angrily wipe away her tears. He was agitated and confused and slightly hurt that she didn't seem to trust him. A nagging thought was gnawing at his mind; _"Does she still fear me?"_

"Sakura." He forced his voice to sound less agitated but it still came across as stern to Sakura's ears. She turned her head as his hands settled gently back on her biceps, not really wanting to look at him but knowing that she had to.

She was met with a sight that startled her more than his violent reaction. The hurt that she hadn't seen in Gaara's eyes for a very long time had returned in a way that made her heart clench.

"I will protect you. It is what I have sworn to do. Do you think I could ever harm you? That I would ever harm you again?" His turquoise eyes scanned her own as she shook her head.

"But you could hate me." She barely whispered this as she tore her gaze from his once more, unconsciously showing signs of submission and defeat. His temper rose anew but he controlled it.

"I could not hate you Sakura. You are my wife, my bonded mate, you are a part of who I am, a part of why I am the way I am and how I am sitting here today." His hands released from his grip on her biceps and ran down them to grasp her hands.

A shaky breath left Sakura's lips as she stared down at the ground. "As a little girl it's a common fantasy to want children. But then you grow up and your life becomes infinitely more complicated and it doesn't seem possible or like anything you could ever want. If you're a kunoichi, it becomes even more complicated. I didn't know if I would ever get around to having children but seeing them and healing them made me wonder what it would be like to have my own." Gaara listened to her quiet voice and mentally ran over the meaning of her words. So she was serious, she wanted a child.

"I am not saying no Sakura; I simply can't think about this like you can. I never wanted children, I never liked them and I myself was not really a child." Sakura felt her hopes and fears crashing back down on her with each word he spoke but she couldn't bring herself to move. He watched her reaction carefully and noticed that her chest contracted sharply when he mentioned his dislike of children.

"But I met you and you are important to me and I want your happiness. My instincts – Shukaku's instincts that have become mine – want me to continue a legacy I didn't want until I met you. My instincts want me to – _I_ could want to have a child with you some day that could be another part of me, a better part of me." He pulled her into his chest as she let out a choked sigh. The conversation was definitely using all the years of emotional training and observation to the fullest.

"I don't ever want to be the reason you are unhappy." Sakura wrapped her arms around his frame as he held her, letting her dry her tears on his coat.

"But not so soon." Her words were muffled by his coat and her tears but they still struck a chord in Gaara that had his frame locked in seconds.

"Soon?" Sakura pulled back as the uncertain apprehension filled her up again. She had to do this now.

"Gaara I, I forgot to get my contraceptive injections when I moved and we weren't thinking of that..." Her voice tapered off as she couldn't force herself to get the words out. Gaara's brain began to spin as a myriad of emotions he couldn't even begin to think about filled him with a sense of slow realization at the meaning behind her words.

"That's why you… you are…?" For once his words weren't working and all he could do was watch as his wife nodded her pink head and pulled something out of her pocket.

"I'm sorry." She croaked, as she placed the envelope in his lap.

With uncertain movements he reached for it as Sakura sat through what she thought was the longest moment of her life with an immense feeling of guilt and shame. He opened it swiftly and pulled out the contents, staring at them as he tried his best to process what was happening.

All of a sudden Shukaku's loud and harsh laughter filled his brain. **"You've got a pup."** Was all he said before his words turned back into sadistic barking that drove Gaara to push him as far from his mind as he could. He was trying his best to take in the photo of the blob like thing in front of him. Based on Sakura's conversation, his own gut feeling, and Shukaku's reaction he knew what it was he was looking at.

Sakura was prepared for the worst. Her flight response was winning out in her mind and she wanted nothing more than to be swallowed up by the desert sands or to be back in Konoha where she could hide herself away from the world. Gaara hadn't spoken since she had last dared to look at him holding the picture.

He moved the photo and the envelope to the side and raised his deep rimmed eyes to stare at Sakura who looked as if she was trying her hardest to disappear. His eyes ran over her small form, now with her knees pulled up to her chest like a shield as she tucked her head into them and covered her face with her arms. She was protecting herself again, she looked afraid again and not at all like herself.

This was serious, this was life changing. This would change absolutely everything in their lives from the political to the emotional and she knew this and believed that everything was her fault. She was blaming herself, beating herself up about it and he was sitting there letting her blame herself, letting her fears be realized.

He wasn't going to get angry, he couldn't, not at her, not now. This was his mate, this was his wife, one of the strongest women alive, and she was carrying a child that was _theirs._

Instinct took over and Gaara felt as if needed to protect her more than ever before. He needed to chase everything bad away from her and keep her in Suna, safe, and with him. She is _his,_ he is _hers_ , and this child is _theirs_ and she is _not_ to be hurt.

The mantra ran over and over in his head until his mind finally processed everything. Sakura was pregnant and she was afraid. With a caution he didn't know he possessed, even as his hands shook with feelings he was fighting back, he reached out to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. Her pink hair fell forwards as she raised her head slightly at the firm but soft tone of his voice.

"You are my wife and my mate Sakura. I've done things, so many things I'm never going to be able to erase. I tried to kill you once, before I knew you, yet you survived. I died and, despite this, you fought to save my body, if nothing else, and killed the S ranked Akatsuki who captured me. You've stood up to the demon that was inside of me and lived to tell the tale. You have been beaten, tortured, pushed to the very limit within your own life aside from the one we now share, and you still manage to be a happy person. You're the strongest woman I know. I will not have you blaming yourself for this. This is on us _both_ and you are not to think that I will not protect you with my life. I will never harm you. You are a part of me, a part of my life and this," He gestured to her stomach. "Enforces that you are worth more to me than my own life. I can't protect you from yourself. You need to trust me, trust that I am strong and that you are strong and that we will raise this… child to be the best of us." Sakura looked up at Gaara in total bewilderment, tears still brimming in her eyes.

"You're…alright with this? It's so soon…and even I don't want…I don't know what to do…" She was silenced as he pulled her closer to him, holding her in a way she had felt before; after the times she had nearly died. This was an embrace reserved for the times when someone had thought they had lost someone or for when someone found someone they hadn't known they had missed.

"It's happened and we move forwards. Isn't that what we are supposed to do? Isn't that what we've had to do?" Sakura's heart nearly stopped as Gaara's voice carried the words to her ears. She had been waiting for his acceptance and there it was. He was ok with this, or was at least coping with it, this accident, her fears weren't real.

Sakura gripped his back and buried her face into his chest again, her heart overflowing with relief and gratefulness. He hadn't lashed out at her, he hadn't pushed her away, he was taking it in stride and she could barely believe it. Gaara's rough fingers traced over her back as he held her close, nearly pulling her into his lap. The gears in his head were still turning and he couldn't stop himself from speaking his mind.

"The mission." Sakura stiffened beneath him once more.

"I knew. Everything turned out alright but I was reckless." She admitted this with a tone of finality but not remorse and Gaara knew she would not apologize for her actions. Though his mind screamed out that she was taking unnecessary risks, logic and his heart told him that she was safe and it was in the past and this was not the time to discuss it. He had too much to think about and he couldn't think about it now, not with her in the most vulnerable position he had seen her in.

"Kunoichi protocol applies now." His voice was gruff but Sakura still let out a relieved sigh.

"I know and I'll follow it." She ran a hand across his arm and pulled back to stare up at his face. He wasn't looking at her, instead he was looking out over his village as he processed the events that had just altered his entire view and his priorities. Sakura watched his red tufts blow gently in the breeze as she studied the hard lines of his face.

When he looked down at her his face was mostly void of visible emotions. Without much thought Sakura reached her hand up to the side of his face and kissed him. She kissed him until he responded and pulled her into his arms once again, their worries and fears pouring out in wordless waves through every caress of their lips and hands. He was showing her a vulnerability and her soul was bared to him.

Eventually they separated, both feeling emotionally attached in a much different and deeper way than before. Sakura leaned into him as his fingers continued to run across her back.

"Gaara, should we tell the others today?" She murmured, after a quiet moment of his caresses.

"Tomorrow. I don't look forward to my sister's response." Sakura couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle.

"Well we'll work on it a step at a time." Sakura whispered as Gaara shifted beside her.

"We'll take a different route home, I have someone to talk to." Sakura looked at him for a moment before nodding and let him pull her to her feet. She had a feeling she knew who this "someone" was and she wanted to talk to one of her own.

With little effort of Gaara's sand, they soon reached the streets of Suna where Gaara set Sakura gently on her feet as she tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, she still felt weak from the ordeal she'd been through and was emotionally drained in a way she hadn't been in a long time.

The nighttime atmosphere was settling down on Suna once again as the streetlights came on and the sunset began to darken. The voices of the people coming out to enjoy the coolness the night brought filled the streets as the Kazekage couple walked silently through the village. Looming over head, the tall wind worn sand structures of Suna that so characterized the city seemed to shelter those below. Sakura loved to look at them purely for the architecture. It was so different from any other village you could visit.

As they walked on to a busier street, people began to take notice of the couple that were the leaders they so admired. Bows were directed at them as older folks sitting in chairs watched them pass with silent appreciation on their wrinkled faces and children stopped and stared, looking on in wonder as the people they knew were famous passed them by.

The people looked upon the couple and talked about them in fondness as they passed. Commenting on how they complimented each other and how much their Kazekage had changed due to his wife. Some mothers holding children close to them smiled at their Kazehime as she waved to them in a surreal manner and then leaned on her husband as they turned on to a less crowded street and away from the view of Suna's captivated citizens.

Sakura walked in step with Gaara as he paused for a moment long enough to let her regain composure before continuing on. The little bit of reassurance comforted Sakura more than she knew it should have.

The pair soon came upon the sandstone wall that sheltered the ground littered with pale gray stones standing still and silent in the dimly lit evening.

Sakura knew it well, not from frequenting the spot, but from the painful memories it had ingrained upon her mind. With a small look shared between Sakura and Gaara, the pair walked in to the silent graveyard. The footsteps Sakura took with her arm still linked in her husband's felt strange. She had been here with him before but it was a long ago memory of someone who was beaten and full of sadness.

He had not stood at her side but had watched her from a distance seeing her shoulders shake slightly as only he glanced back to look at her standing over a newly placed stone. She had turned and wiped the tears from her face quickly, only glancing at him with a hurt in her eyes that had baffled and haunted him to this day though he now was able to understand the emotions she must have felt. The arm that had been linked in his then was not hers but instead belonged to his siblings. He was not supporting her but was the one being supported by others.

Gaara gave his wife a sideways glance as he felt her grip on his arm tighten slightly. She looked at him as they approached Chiyo-baasama's grave. He knew she was thinking of Chiyo-baasama's funeral. He knew he was remembering it. He always did when he visited here. With a small nod he motioned for her to go to the grave and she nodded in return and walked towards the silent stone. He watched her for a moment before moving once more through the eerie stillness in the graveyard.

His steps were determined as he passed stones and monuments carved with names of those who gave their lives for Suna or simply ended their days in the city. As he passed a tall monument he felt a sudden remembrance for the man who had practically raised him for a time.

The funeral for his Uncle came up in his mind though it was clouded in a fuzzy memory of a time when he had chosen hate and isolation because of the cruelty of others. He would have remembered the funeral for his mother as well but he was only a few hours old when it had taken place. His father's funeral was fresher in his mind, though it did not bring back any wistful memories. The man who had been his blood relation was the same who had driven him to madness and hatred.

The tall stone that stood against a craggy rock formation in the back of the graveyard was the burial site for his Mother, Uncle, and Father along with the previous Kages and their family members. The three large slabs of stone arranged in a circle around the monument held below them the remains of Gaara's parental figures, be them his real parents or the adopted parent he had briefly found in his Uncle. With a graceful movement he positioned himself in front of the memorial stone and bowed a low bow to the ground, touching his forehead to the sand before raising it and standing to look at the stone slab.

"Uncle, I wanted to thank you. You were the closest thing to a father to me though I know you disliked me at first for fear of the beast within me and a resentment you held towards me for my being born. Uncle, you were the first to see what others did not see until recently. You saw the person in me and who I could become. I think you would be proud to know I am now the leader Suna needed and that I have done right by marrying a powerful kunoichi who is loyal and kind. She saw me as a person as well, after she got to know me. It struck me that she was a lot like you. She sees people as people, not as what they hold inside them be it a monster or a curse. You were like that as well. I remember." He paused for a moment before continuing.

"Mother, you would have loved Sakura. She is headstrong and powerful but she knows how to step back and remember the past while still moving on. She learns from things in her past but does not dwell on them. Those who knew you tell me you always felt it was your duty to look to the future while maintaining your history. They say you possessed a sense of calm and peace that is hard to find. I think you would be proud to know that the Kazehime of Suna is once again a woman with a good head on her shoulders. I somehow feel that you are still protecting me and I only wish you could be here to meet her." Gaara turned to leave slowly but stopped, closing his eyes for a moment before sighing.

"Father I forgive you. I never truly knew you as a Father but maybe you can see me and my family and maybe you will be able to watch as I am a father to my child. I know you cared for my siblings and I but the choices you made are something I can't forget." With this Gaara unclenched his jaw and walked away to where he could see the pale silhouette of his wife amongst the graves.

"Gaara did you see who you wanted to see?" Sakura asked as he approached, helping her up from her kneeling position in front of Chiyo-baasama's grave. He nodded and turned to smile upon the carved words on the stone marking the resting place of the woman who brought him back to life.

"I wanted to pay my respects to Chiyo-baasama as well." Sakura nodded as Gaara laid his hand upon the stone and bowed low. "Thank you for giving me the chance to have a family. Without you I would not be here. I owe you everything." The pair left without another word, glancing once at each other before exiting the solemn quiet of the graveyard.

End of Chapter 13

It's hard to write Gaara in this scenario, forgive me if it seems out of character, I was trying to show his compassionate side a bit more here.


	14. Chapter 14

This chapter is dedicated to rainingplatinum445. Thank you for your thoughtful and wonderful review!

Chapter 14

Gaara pulled open the door to their house with Sakura close behind. The two still looked a bit dazed, evidence that they had both been dealing with some heavy information and decisions. They had barely spoken since they have left the graveyard but there was no anger between them. They both needed time to process and adjust, Gaara much more than Sakura.

He glanced at her and their eyes connected, sharing a look that told them both that there would be much to discuss at a later time. Their contact was soon broken by Temari's voice.

"We're in the living room!" Sakura moved first, plastering on a look that didn't seem quite so stunned. She entered the living room with Gaara behind her, his face devoid of emotion.

"Hey guys! Have a nice walk?" Temari asked happily from her position leaning on the couch. Sakura nodded and moved to sit down on the loveseat across from the one Kankuro was so lazily lounging in.

Shikamaru gave her a sideways look which she ignored. Kankuro had turned his attention to Sakura with a smirk present on his face.

"You sure were out for a long time. Not getting into any trouble right little sis?" He waggled his eyebrows at Sakura who rolled her eyes while internally her heart clenched a bit at his words.

 _"Too late for that."_

"We took the long way around Suna to talk for a while then went to visit an acquaintance of ours." Kankuro raised a hand in defeat at his brother's final tone of voice.

"Alright I'll buy that." Sakura's green eyes moved to the television while her mind worked over how to answer the questions she knew Gaara would ask.

Temari's eyes roamed over the form of her brother and his wife, noticing the slight tension in their postures and the far-off look in Sakura's eyes. Had they fought? She shook her head.

Gaara wouldn't attempt such a thing and Sakura wouldn't have stood for it. Maybe some news was troubling them. She made a mental note to question her brother on the topic later on. After all, he was still young and very inexperienced, despite being married. _"Not that she's much better off! It's a wonder the two of them settled so quickly. Shinobi life forces some people to act that way I suppose_." She glanced over at Shikamaru who quirked his brow as she gave a small smile. _"It really does."_

Sakura slowly realized that she was becoming more exhausted by the minute. Her mind immediately jumped to the forgotten fact that she had arrived that day on the verge of collapse from exhaustion and chakra depletion. _"Was that really all today? It seemed like ages ago."_ A yawn caught her off guard and did not go unnoticed by Shikamaru.

"Sakura, you should get to bed." He stated off-handedly as the attention in the room shifted to her. Giving Shikamaru a glance, she nodded and stood.

"He's right, I had forgotten how tired I was. I'll see you all in the morning." Her pulse jumped at the thought. Morning meant that she was going to have to tell them all what had changed. Gaara said nothing as Sakura said her goodnights and adjourned to their room upstairs.

Sakura undressed and put on a t-shirt and shorts without a word, still unsettled by her husband's stoic silence. She knew he was processing everything but it still made her uneasy. Was he really unhappy about this despite what he had said?

After they both were ready for bed, Sakura climbed under the covers and faced the balcony, her back to Gaara.

A gruff sigh broke the silence as Gaara stared up at the ceiling.

"I'm not good at explanations and I can't accurately speak my mind. I can't tell you what I am thinking about but know that it's not thought in anger." Sakura shifted a little but remained in her position facing away from him.

A hand found its place on her arm as Sakura finally rolled over to face him. His eyes locked onto hers in the darkness and she could see uncertainty there as well as trust and a sense of caring she had learned to recognize.

In a move that was very unexpected, Gaara leaned his head down to her shoulder and stayed there, taking shallow breaths that ghosted across her pale skin.

"I never thought about anything like this happening to me. I never deserved you and I never once thought of having someone by my side. You are an impossible dream that has become real and this…" His other arm wrapped around her side as Sakura drew a sharp breath. "This is even more of a fantasy. I am having problems believing either is real."

Sakura's heart clenched at his words. After all he had overcome, his insecurities had crept back and reared their ugly heads. Years of overcoming the hatred and the cruel whispers, years of becoming the man he was now and the leader he proved himself to be seemed to recede with those words. He didn't think he deserved her.

Sakura's green eyes widened as Gaara's red hair tickled her neck. He thought he wasn't good enough, didn't deserve a family or happiness when she had been the one thinking the same. She was strong now, she had proven herself time and time again with her strength and her medical prowess, she had even moved on from the heart sickening fantasies of her childhood. Despite all of this she had never dreamed of a life with someone by her side and the idea of children as a kunoichi was an idea she'd come to accept might never happen. Those dreams had long since been set aside after being crushed by a stubborn and traitorous Uchiha until she had found Gaara. With a pain in her chest that reacted to his words, she wrapped her arms around him and laid her cheek against his hair.

"I'm much less than you deserve. For all you've done, you deserve the world." She was nearly certain she had read that in a book somewhere but at that moment it didn't matter. What mattered was that, for the first time in a long time, Gaara's walls were coming down in more ways than one.

His arms encircled her as he pulled her against him keeping his face firmly tucked under her chin, his hands shaking slightly as he gripped the fabric of her shirt. There he stayed as she felt herself calmly stroking his back, letting herself comfort him like he had done for her. In her mind she knew this was most likely one of the first times he had ever been comforted in such a way. His sand shield was gone, as it almost always was in private with her and she knew that was his most powerful way of showing his weakness to her.

They laid this way, silently letting their minds calm down until sleep consumed Sakura and her hands fell still against the planes of Gaara's shoulders. He carefully maneuvered himself so as not to rest his weight on her and pulled her into his chest. His will to protect her, to preserve the most precious thing ever to enter his life was strong in his mind as he lay awake, listening to her soft breathing.

Morning light streamed through the balcony windows in a soft haze that surrounded the couple still lying in bed. Gaara had fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning with many thoughts on his mind and had woken mere hours later, watching Sakura with a fascinated gaze. To him she looked no different than normal. The revelations from the day before should have, in his mind, changed her appearance but they hadn't.

Her small, powerful frame still curled in the same way as it had before. Her hands still rested near her face covered in pink strands. She was still the same. Her eyelashes fluttered as she reacted to the sensation of being watched with a stretch and a yawn, undignified and so very Sakura. Her green eyes were still hazy with sleep as she turned towards him with a cautious look on her features.

"Morning." She whispered, her voice as tentative as her movements. Despite the moments they had shared the night before she still felt like she was walking on eggshells around Gaara.

His hand brushed some hair out of her face while his eyes remained passive. She would have thought he was still out of sorts had it not been for the soft gesture. Gaara's touches were his way of giving her reassurance. She laid a hand on his arm in return.

They laid in bed for a few moments longer before the need to get up and get on with their daily duties entered their minds. Sakura insisted she was going to go to the hospital despite Gaara's stern looks and mentions of her health after the mission. She shut him down with a serious look and a hand on her hip citing her medical knowledge and assessment of her own wellbeing along with a promise that she would be strictly performing deskwork. The promise seemed to slightly appease Gaara, as she knew it would, and he silently gave up on the pursuit of the topic.

The pair was still tense as they made their way down to the kitchen. Sakura didn't know if she was ready to tell the others yet and Gaara was just as unsure. He still needed time alone to think over everything again.

Sakura's hopes that no one was up yet were quickly dashed as she heard an argument escalating in the kitchen.

"You idiot! Why would you think adding more water to a _grease fire_ was a good idea?! Did you learn nothing from your basic training days?!" Temari's aggravated voice was unmistakable.

"Of course Temari, I _wanted_ to add water to the grease fire! Do you think I would have doused it in water if I knew it was grease!?" The puppet master hissed.

Sakura heaved a defeated sigh. Life just loved to make things difficult.

The scene that greeted the duo upon their entry into the kitchen would have been comical if not for the two seething, and damp, shinobi standing in the midst of it all with their teeth bared. A black ring lined the wall behind the stove and a pan, still steaming and smoking slightly, lay in the sink having obviously been wrenched from the stove and thrust under the faucet.

Sakura surveyed the damage before turning her attention to the squabbling siblings who had stood down slightly when they noticed they were no longer alone in the kitchen.

Temari's eyes swept over Gaara first and then ventured to Sakura, her gaze scrutinizing and calculating. Kankuro had perked up considerably upon seeing Sakura and had already shuffled his way over to her side, presumably to use her as a distraction or possibly as a shield. Temari had not missed this move and was still glaring.

"Did we interrupt something?" Sakura questioned.

Temari scoffed. "Just my brother attempting to burn us all to death." Her scathing look focused once again on the man across from her.

"I already said I didn't know it was a grease fire!" Temari's eyebrows furrowed even further as she prepared for another round of verbal jousting.

Luckily, Shikamaru chose this moment to stroll into the kitchen, raising an eyebrow at the scene in front of him. Temari backed down immediately at his arrival, her features lightening as Kankuro sighed in relief and gave the shadow shinobi a thankful glance.

Gaara looked over at Sakura with a glance of his own that told her now was not the time to say anything. She nodded and plastered on a smile that she hoped looked believable.

"I was planning on just grabbing some light breakfast, first day back at the hospital and all." She smiled at Temari who crossed her arms.

"I would have had some meat cooked up for you." Another glare at Kankuro. "Aside from that. Didn't you just get back from a mission where you were drained of your chakra? Don't medics always force bed rest for days after that?" Gaara gave his sister a look that explained that he had already tried this method.

Sakura waved her off. "I know my limits and I'm resting, just doing deskwork, besides I am a medic remember? I know how to take care of patients including myself. I'll just grab something quick to eat." She opened the fridge grabbing some leftovers that didn't look too old and a banana. Gaara settled for similar, following Sakura like a shadow.

Shikamaru watched their exchange with a stoic expression. They were both acting strange. Gaara was hovering and Sakura seemed apologetic, which was extremely unusual for her. Part of him wanted to be sure but as it was, he was almost certain she had told him.

The group parted after breakfast, Gaara and Sakura leaving to go to their respective positions as Shikamaru found himself alone with the argumentative siblings.

It was late enough that the air felt hot though the sun was not yet high in the sky. Sakura followed the redhead in front of her with heavy steps. She had subconsciously drifted behind him as they walked, lost in her thoughts. Part of her wanted to confront him again, ask why he had been gentle that morning and now ignored her, while her mind told her he was simply processing and that it would take time.

A pebble bounced off her toe as she grazed the ground slightly, absentmindedly running through the schedule she had laid out for the day. Her feet followed Gaara almost automatically, so engrossed was she in her thoughts. As they neared the turn to the hospital he stopped, causing Sakura to jolt out of her musings and look up at him for an explanation. A troubled expression greeted her.

He looked straight into her eyes, his own holding an emotion she couldn't place.

"What is it?" She whispered, aware that they were outside and that certain things were very sensitive now. Turquoise searched green.

"I don't want you to think I care any less. I care more now…" He trailed off, obviously struggling with thoughts and emotions. "How will you work?" His question held more beneath the surface, that much she could tell. Her features softened as she recognized his concern.

"Like usual but with stricter hours and less labor intensive work later on." His hand twitched at his side like he was debating something. Sakura took the initiative to reach out and take his hand, daring to show him that she understood.

His face held gratitude as he let her take his hand. She could tell this was going to be tough. Gaara was someone who struggled with contact, emotions, and expressing himself. He had gotten better since they had been together, much better, but things still forced him to regress. The secret they now shared numbered high on this list.

Sakura squeezed his hand, grounding him as she moved forwards, pulling them both towards the hospital. He was silent behind her, his presence concentrated on her as they reached the doors. She turned to him as he stared down at her with a calmer countenance. A small smile curled Sakura's pink lips as she let go of his hand.

"I'll see you later." He nodded as she then turned and left, feeling a little better than she had before.

The day progressed without incident. Sakura was bombarded with paperwork for several medical procedures and the like but wasn't called out for any emergencies or surgeries. She ate lunch in her office and finished the paperwork around three, dropping everything off in the respective places as she clocked out.

Suna was oppressively hot now, summer having made its early arrival. The sand skittered across Sakura's shin's, blown by a light, hot breeze that held the ever present threat of growing much stronger. Truthfully, Sakura was longing for the green of Konoha and the soft grasses. True it could get sweltering hot in Konoha, but not dry, never that. She darted her tongue across her dry lips as she wandered around a street corner towards her home.

She knew Temari and Shikamaru were attending some sort of a training function that day and Kankuro was on patrol so she was confident she would be alone. Part of her longed for the silence the empty house would provide but she knew that she would end up thinking about everything that had transpired since her last visit to Konoha.

It was for this reason that Sakura found herself turning a corner and walking away from the house, headed instead down the back paths to the training grounds of Suna, nestled amongst the rocky outcroppings on the far edge of the village. She wanted to think and often found that training of any sort helped her do so.

The training grounds were mercifully empty. Here, on the plateau of what was apparently one of the outer training grounds, the wind was stronger. Tendrils of short pink hair whipped out from behind Sakura's ears as she surveyed the empty field. It was little more than a slab of rock, shielded from the sun by the high rocky cliffs, but it would serve her purposes.

She began by moving fluidly into some basic yoga positions, stretching her body and feeling as her muscles moved beneath her skin. She moved from one position to the next with practiced ease, slipping into a rhythm that she was used to from years of training.

Her legs turned out, pulled in, and rolled at the hip, muscles flexing and unfurling as she stabilized herself with each motion. Her arms were an extension of her power, pushing and pulling as she maneuvered into positions meant to stretch her muscles and ease tension. The movements helped her find her center; gain a balance both outwardly and internally that would clear her mind for further thought. Drilled into her head was the mantra of her motions, repeating the names of the muscles she was stretching, the movements she was making, even the patterns her feet were drawing beneath her. It was only when she completed her final move that her brain clicked back into gear.

A glance around the training ground made her decide that some basic taijutsu drills would do her good. Her timing had been off during the attack and she needed to regain some of her lost footing. Her lack of time in the past months hadn't taken her skills away, simply put her a little out of touch with some of the finer details.

Hands flickered in front of her as a second Sakura materialized out of the dusty air. Her clone dropped into a fighting stance that Sakura copied, setting up for the first round. The clone burst forwards and engaged Sakura in a flurry of quick jabbing attacks. This round was focused on arms and hands, speed was key as was efficient blocking, both of which were performed at a fast pace.

Sakura's mind began to churn as her arms and hands worked for her.

 _"We'll have about five or six months to prepare, Tsunade will be the first one I tell in Konoha. She'll need to be sufficiently boozed up for the discussion, I'll have to get some of the good sake from the merchant near Ino's shop."_

Two quick jabs from Sakura and the clone stepped back, preparing for the next round involving mostly feet and legs.

 _"The council needs to be informed. They will want increased security on me and we will most likely need to present a reasonable case for my work. Then there is the matter of it being Gaara's child."_

A roundhouse kick dodged, three steps, forward momentum and spin.

 _"I don't know what the council will do but we'll need to prepare. After that it could be officially announced but we shouldn't. It would be safer if it was kept a secret for as long as possible."_

Kick, backflip, counter, land and turn.

 _"We'll have to tell our friends before it is officially announced but after the council knows. Naruto will overreact and Ino will never let this go. She might even go as far as moving to Suna."_

Roundhouse connected with the clone as a pop and puff of smoke followed. Sakura landed and ran a hand through her hair, pushing it back from her face. A sigh followed soon after as Sakura's other hand tentatively rested on her stomach.

It frightened her to know that she, who had knowingly placed her life on the line over and over and faced death almost on a daily basis, could be creating life. The medical kunoichi renowned for her strength brought to weakness and distraction by the mere thought of motherhood was laughable. She had dealt with mothers and children since her basic medical training. There was a group of children running around Konoha who had been brought into the world by way of her hands.

She had thrust her hands into the living bodies of countless men and women, pulling them from the very jaws of death with powerful force, skill, and an iron will. Knitting bone back into place, fusing ripped muscles and organs until they worked again, shocking the life back into patients, it all didn't frighten her nearly as much as this.

The knowledge that she was to be responsible for a life was nothing new to her. It was her job, her passion. But creating a life, bringing something new into the world that hadn't existed before, that was a responsibility she felt inadequately prepared for.

It wasn't that she hadn't thought of children, she had spent long hours as a child fantasizing about children of her own. Though they had sported black hair in place of red. Those thoughts and dreams had died when _he_ had left. She had then regarded those thoughts as the outlandish and impractical dreams of a child, ones that she had long since forgotten and dismissed. As her skills as both a medic and a kunoichi grew, her dreams of a life as a mother faded until they became something that she rarely ever thought of.

Now the idea of a red headed baby with seafoam green eyes and strong chakra control scared her. She didn't want to think about it, didn't want to face the facts, but she had to. She was pregnant and married to one of the most influential figures in the shinobi world. She had a duty to her people, her husband, the hospital, and her friends. Her focus would have to shift and she would be all but useless for a time and that was never something she accepted easily.

Tsunade had taught her to work until she could do no more. Her loyalty and ties ran deep, as most shinobi's did, and her love for Konoha and her new home of Suna was all the confirmation and appreciation she needed. The idea of not being able to help should something happen was a hard pill for her to swallow.

Sakura took a deep breath and dropped her hand from her stomach, clenching it into a fist.

There wasn't anything she could do about it now. All she could do was move forwards, muster her strength and resolve and take things day by day. Everything would work itself out in time.

Feeling better than she had before training, she decided it was time to go back home. She turned and was on her way back down the rocky path before she noticed she was being watched.

End of Chapter 14


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Sakura's head perked up at the slight movement coming from her left. Though she knew she was safe in Suna, she was immediately on guard.

The presence didn't feel menacing, in fact, it felt familiar despite their chakra being hidden. Her steps slowed as she felt the person approaching. Deciding facing her onlooker was better than avoidance, she turned – only to find the face of Gin, a Jonin she recognized as one of Baki's companions from their sparring session months previous.

A little surprised and confused, Sakura smiled cordially at the shinobi who had greeted her with a bow of his head.

"Kazehime-sama." Brown eyes met hers as a small smile graced his tan face.

"Hello…Gin-san correct?" He nodded but made no move to give her an explanation as to why he had approached her. "It is good to see you. I noticed you watching me finish my training, is there anything I can do for you?" Brown eyes looked off to the side and then back.

"Forgive me for this Kazehime-sama, but your training, it seemed that you ended abruptly. I was on my rounds and saw you stop and stand still for longer than I thought was normal. Are you injured?" Sakura's green eyes widened as she quickly shook her head.

"I didn't expect anyone to be watching, I was merely thinking over some things. I often use training to work through problems or to alleviate some stress." Gin visibly relaxed and nodded.

"I believe many shinobi do the same. I am sorry to have bothered you." Another bow as Sakura shook her head. All of these formalities really did take some getting used to.

"It's fine Gin-san, I am glad you thought to check on me. It shows you are observant. I won't keep you from your rounds, but it was nice seeing you. Give my regards to Baki-sensei when you next see him." Gin smiled.

"I will Kazehime-sama." Another bow that seemed almost to be too much before the Jonin left her, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

Sakura continued on her path back into the village, slightly embarrassed at being caught lost in thought. It wasn't that she hadn't been caught staring into space before, that had happened frequently in Konoha, but she was not used to strangers watching her train.

Lazy steps took her towards home, sandaled feet scuffing across sand and stone as she cocked her head back and looked up at the wires crisscrossing the rounded buildings of Suna. Some of the thinner wires swayed in the wind, bouncing in slow motions above her. The wires seemed flimsy, weak, and dangerous, though she knew they would hold. The larger, thicker wires could support a grown man and did not move save for during the fiercest storms.

Sakura turned around a corner, entering a dim alley as her gaze turned back to the path. She had come to a few conclusions in her mind and felt better for it; though the reality of it all weighed on her like nothing else ever had.

They would be traveling to Konoha soon, for Temari and Shikamaru's wedding and the Chunin Exams. There she would have to face Tsunade, who alone was more terrifying than all of her new family combined.

Temari and Shikamaru would not remain in Suna, she knew Shikamaru had been speaking with Tsunade about the possibility of becoming the head of intelligence when the new Hokage was announced. His father had occupied the position for a long time and was ready to let his son take the lead. He was also in line to be the head of his clan and his duty was to fulfill the position. Still, she would miss both of them dearly when the time came for them to leave.

As she opened the door to her house, her thoughts ended. Standing near the doorway, with arms crossed in front of the Jonin vest he practically lived in, was Shikamaru. His stare was expectant, calculating, and a bit stern; all the things she didn't want to see.

She slipped off her shoes and raised her head, brushing back pink locks that had flopped into her face.

"I thought you were with Temari at that training demonstration." The stare didn't waver.

"Did you tell him?" Leave it to him not to mince words. She sighed and gestured into the living room, suddenly feeling tired of standing as her body reminded her that her chakra was still only at around 65% capacity.

She settled onto a couch and he followed without a word, taking a seat opposite of her after she insisted. Brown eyes remained unwavering as he waited on her.

"I did tell him, last night." Shikamaru remained attentive.

"His reaction?" Sakura's eyes raised to stare at Shikamaru now.

"It was better than I had hoped. He is processing this and I don't think I could ask for more than that." Shikamaru nodding, uncrossing his arms as he looked at her.

"And you are ok with everything as it is?" Sakura's green eyes looked up at him, her expression calmer than he had expected.

"I am coming to terms with things in my own way." Her fingers knit together as she looked back down at her hands. "We'll keep it quiet until we can't anymore. I wanted to tell Temari and Kankuro this morning but, well, you know how that worked out." A sigh came from Shikamaru's direction.

"You'll tell Tsunade in Konoha?" She nodded.

"After your wedding of course." Shikamaru scratched his head in his typical lazy manner. She knew he hadn't ever really wanted to marry, nor had Temari, but it was a logical step to make and one that he had known he had to do in order to truly secure her and to be able to convince the politicians to let her move. It was just that he hated people making a fuss over him and abhorred the spotlight. Sakura couldn't help but be amused at the prospect of Nara Shikamaru being in the light for once in his secretive life.

"So how did you manage to get out of that training?" Sakura was derailing his probing questions, though she knew he could see right through her attempts, and was hoping he would humor her. Luckily he seemed to realize her intentions and accepted the derailment with ease.

"I slipped out when Temari was grilling a guard on counter attacks. Told one of the others to let her know I was called off on business." He didn't look the least bit apologetic at the idea of lying and leaving his fiancée. Typical Nara man. Sakura shook her head at him.

"One of these days those lies will catch up with you and you will have to face them." Brown eyes stared unblinkingly at her.

"I didn't lie, I wanted to discuss things with you so, technically speaking, I was called away on business."

"You men are unbelievable." Sakura stood and left the room, headed towards the kitchen to grab a snack. Shikamaru followed with a blank expression. He didn't say anything as she pulled out some crackers and began to munch on them, absentmindedly chewing as she crossed her arms in front of her, mimicking Shikamaru's own stance.

"I think you should tell the siblings tonight. It will be good to have allies when the time comes. The alliance of Konoha and Suna was strengthened by your marriage but the addition of a child of two strong shinobi adds to the alliance in an unofficial way." Sakura's pink brows knit together as she stared at Shikamaru.

"Alliance? You think the other nations will see a child as a threat? It's not as if we could, or would, make a new Jinchuuriki." She snorted. The idea was impossible.

"The other nations will see anything as a true threat until your child gets older. Powerful shinobi are always sought after. Collect too many powerful shinobi in one place and you make enemies." He shifted his position. "I was also referring to the council pressuring for rigorous training early on. Temari, Kankuro, and especially Gaara were placed in those programs and they haven't entirely gone away." Sakura's green eyes flashed to Shikamaru.

"My child will not be a tool for their army! I will not let them make any child of mine a puppet!" Shikamaru's eyes narrowed as he looked at the now seething woman in front of him currently turning a cracker into a pile of dust. So mood swings were already in place, great.

He shrugged as he stared at her, fingers twitching in his pocket. "I don't think they could try, not with the allies you have, not with Gaara in the position he is. But they might try to pressure you into resigning as a kunoichi." In that instant Shikamaru realized that if he had thought she looked mad before, he was wrong.

Sakura was livid. No one could ever dare to ask her to step down as a kunoichi. She was a medical professional, could break the ground with her bare hands and lift trees twenty times her weight, not to mention the fact that she was the former apprentice of one of the legendary Sannin! Being a kunoichi was her life!

Her gaze swiftly turned deadly as her features hardened. "If they even think about that they will regret it for as long as they live. I will become the biggest thorn in their side and I don't frankly care who _they_ are. Be it the council or anyone else, I will not give up being a kunoichi until I am good and ready!" Her voice was venom and Shikamaru realized that he was once again going to have to diffuse the Sakura bomb.

"That's why you need allies to vouch for you, and you have them. You just need to let your friends and allies know the full situation before anything happens." Sakura glanced over at him, her anger quickly calming to a mere simmer as she realized the truth in his words. He was right again.

She sighed and unclenched her hand over the sink, washing away the crumbs from the cracker she had mutilated during their discussion. Behind her Shikamaru felt relieved he had been given the brains to know how to deal with tough situations. Women were so troublesome.

"You're right about everything Shikamaru. I'm just having a tough time adjusting is all. You have to understand that this is something I never planned." She gestured to the house around them and he knew she was talking about more than just the pregnancy.

"I understand." A small smile graced her face as Sakura looked at her friend.

"I'll tell them tonight." She murmured, turning back to the sink to wash a few pieces of silverware that had been left over from breakfast.

Sensing that the conversation was over, Shikamaru ducked out of the room.

"And go apologize to your fiancée!" Sakura's words hit him in the back just as he was about to slink off.

She couldn't help but snicker as she heard a mumbled "troublesome women" and a subsequent click as the front door opened and shut.

Sakura loved Shikamaru as a close friend and ally and she knew he was just looking out for her by asking probing questions. He had always been loyal to his friends and she was by no means the only one he had interrogated for their own well-being.

Sakura meandered around the kitchen for a while longer, sorting thoughts through her head as she tidied up the space. She soon grew tired and restless and decided reading a few new medical texts would relax her.

It was only an hour or so later that a very obnoxious bang followed by the sound of footsteps and an opening door broke Sakura out of her reading reverie.

Moments later Kankuro came stumbling into the room being hotly pursued by a visibly angry Temari. His eyes locked onto Sakura and immediately she knew she was in trouble.

"Oh no! You are _not_ going to hide behind her you overgrown lizard!" In an instant Kankuro was scrambling for the doorway, only to have his legs knocked out from under him with a well-placed swing of Temari's fan.

Sakura could only watch the situation unfold between the squabbling siblings as Kankuro picked himself off the floor and went head-to-head with his sister, arguing about something Sakura knew nothing about. For a moment Sakura thought of Naruto and Team Seven, the scene was so familiar to her.

Shikamaru skirted past the two with practiced ease, joining Sakura who had long since stood up from the couch. He gave her a lazy shrug as Temari repeatedly bashed Kankuro over the head with her fan, decidedly ending the argument. The blonde in question looked over at Sakura, now finished with her bashing, giving her a less hostile glance.

"Shikamaru came to tell me you wanted us both home for dinner. Do you have plans for tonight?" Sakura floundered for a moment, shooting a look to Shikamaru who feigned disinterest. She resisted the urge to shout at him and instead smiled at Temari as if she hadn't just been completely caught off guard.

"I was thinking we could all go out tonight, if Gaara gets back in time." Kankuro, who seemed recovered from his beating, gave her a nod.

"No objections from me. Barbeque maybe?" All eyes turned to Sakura who shrugged.

"Sure, why not?" Barbeque meant semi-secluded booths and perhaps even their own room since the siblings had such prestige and reputation in Suna. It would be the perfect opportunity to butter them up before she unleashed the news on them both, at home, away from any listening ears.

It wasn't every day the staff at the best barbeque place in Suna (according to Kankuro) had the pleasure of entertaining the Kazekage and his familial entourage. The wait staff helpfully sat them in a separate part of the restaurant and had pampered them all evening.

Gaara, who had been swept out the door the moment he had arrived at the house, obviously was not a frequent customer.

Kankuro and Temari enjoyed their food with minimal bickering, making small talk about guard duties and training regimes as Sakura listened with an anxious feeling ever present on her mind.

When they were all sufficiently full and happy, Sakura suggested heading home for drinks to talk without the distractions of a loud bar. Shikamaru helpfully seconded the idea as Gaara gave Sakura a slight glance of approval.

The anxious feeling in the pit of her stomach only grew as they reached the compound and ventured into the living room. Kankuro grabbed the drinks from the kitchen and returned to where the rest of the group had gathered seated on the couches.

"So anyways that's how we got the scorpion detached from Kankuro's earlobe." Temari finished the story that she had been telling since they had all entered the house and took a swig of the beer in front of her. Sakura, who had barely been listening to Temari's story, nervously chuckled in the hope that her nervousness wasn't being outwardly projected to the group.

She found herself taking a calming breath as she looked up at Shikamaru who met her gaze and nodded.

 _"I'd better say something now before another story starts."_ Steeling her nerves and hoping for the best, Sakura laid her hand on Gaara's arm and cleared her throat. Two pairs of eyes turned to stare at her.

Anxiety had tied her stomach in a knot and she honestly could not remember the last time she had been so nervous. She knew that the longer she waited, the worse her nerves would be and the more suspicious the siblings would become, but still she lingered for a moment longer, their expressions now growing questioning and a bit concerned as she took a breath and launched right into fast paced speech.

"There's something that I'm going to tell you that is – well it's important – and it can't be spread outside of this room." Temari looked over to Kankuro and both immediately straightened, their expressions becoming serious as the light atmosphere quickly dissipated.

"We promise Sakura, everything you say won't leave this room." Kankuro's voice was serious, more serious than she had heard it in a long time, and it only served to make her even more nervous. Temari nodded, shooting a glance at Shikamaru who was maintaining a blank expression. Gaara's hand squeezed her arm slightly, giving her the resolve to press on.

"A while ago I received some news, I knew about this before the mission I just returned from but I didn't think it was the time or the place to tell anyone. I've discussed things with Gaara and we decided that telling you now would be best." She dared to look up, seeing both of their expressions turn confused, as they looked to Gaara with seriousness evident in their features.

"Are you alright?" The question was directed at Sakura, Temari's voice carrying an uncharacteristic amount of concern. Sakura's small smile alleviated some, but not all, of the worry evident on her face.

"Yes, I'm fine." She moved to continue, steeling herself for the big reveal. "It's… well… the news is that I'm pregnant." Her eyes closed for a moment as she took the direct route and got the heavy weight off her chest and out in the open.

The siblings froze for a moment; time seemed to stop as Sakura waited with bated breath for a reaction.

Temari moved first, shooting off the couch like a rocket with a garbled screech of "YOU'RE WHAT?!" Eyes flashing to Gaara with wild disbelief as Kankuro broke out in a fit of laughter, cackling and spluttering as he doubled over on the couch.

They both were reacting, well, exactly how Sakura had thought they would react; loudly.

"You have got to be kidding me! I never thought you would ever even get married Gaara, but a kid?! How long?" Temari was bewildered, staring her stoic younger brother down as Kankuro continued to cackle in the background.

Sakura gave her a sheepish look. "About 16 or so weeks." Temari's eyes shut as she shook her head and sighed. Gaara gave Sakura a sideways glance. Even he hadn't known exactly how far along she was.

Temari's attention suddenly turned to her gasping brother who had, in her opinion, been laughing for far too long. With a practiced move her hand shot out and smacked him across the back of head, immediately ending his laughter.

"Ouch Temari! Jeez, don't tell me you don't find this even a little bit funny! I mean Gaara's having a kid! I thought him getting married was out of the range of possibility but I never in a million years put the words Gaara and kid in the same thought!" Her eyes narrowed as Sakura gave Gaara a slightly apologetic look to which he sternly shook his head. She was not to apologize for anything.

"Don't you see how serious this is?! Gaara is the Kazekage, the political implications of this child are high. If you remember, we were sort of a big deal as well." Temari glanced over at Gaara her eyes silently meeting his with a sort of melancholic look.

"The child is no concern of the councils but Temari is right, they will attempt to cite political implications of having a child born of two high ranking shinobi leaders. What they may angle for is anyone's guess, but you can be sure they will push for training. I don't think they would accept the child having any career other than shinobi." Shikamaru's drawl made a point, a point that Sakura and Gaara had both already thought over.

"He's right, the council will want our child to be trained and I don't think we could stop them fully. I never thought of having a child who was civilian anyways, though I would have supported whatever the child wanted to do, but I won't allow the council to use my child." Sakura voiced to the group what Shikamaru had already heard from her earlier in the day.

Temari's eyes landed on her face and she nodded. Of course she was in agreement, she had already seen the devastating effects of the council's pressuring first hand.

Kankuro's face grew slightly more somber. He knew to what they were referring but it was in the past. The fear of his own brother was something he would never forget but he had moved on.

"This is why we told you so soon. The council has connections but they couldn't afford to oppose more than just Gaara publicly. They don't hold enough power for that. I'll be informing Tsunade during the Chunin Exams." Temari's gaze turned to her once more.

"It's a good thing that Shikamaru and I decided we wanted to have our wedding in Konoha then. It seemed silly to have people make the journey here when it's easier to have it there anyways. Between this and the Chunin Exams it seems like we made the right decision."

Shikamaru looked at Temari with a lazy expression on his face.

"Tch, the exams are right before our wedding aren't they? I nearly forgot I was asked to be a proctor, troublesome." Temari rolled her eyes and looked over at her fiancé with a slight smile on her face.

"Well it's a good thing I remembered. That's one of the reasons I suggested having our wedding in Konoha. That way Sakura and Gaara can have a legitimate reason to be there longer. You'll be able to tell Tsunade earlier." Sakura smiled at her thoughtfulness as Temari sank back down onto the couch. "You're really having a baby?" Her expression was calmer now, happier even.

Sakura nodded, taking Gaara's hand in her own as a means of pulling him back into the conversation. "Yeah I am." Temari's face lit up then, a genuine smile gracing her features.

"I'll get to be an Aunt and you –" She jabbed a finger into Kankuro's side. "are going to be an Uncle who will not persuade their child to be idiotic in any way." Kankuro rolled his eyes and grinned at Sakura.

"I'll teach them how to wield chakra strings, and I'll give them pointers on getting girls – ow Temari stop doing that!" Kankuro rubbed his head once more as Sakura laughed, relieved at her family's reactions.

"I'm sure you two will be a great Aunt and Uncle. You too Shikamaru. Don't forget that you'll be an Uncle as well." Shikamaru gave her a small smile, dark eyes meeting hers as if to let her know he was already well aware that he was also going to be an Uncle.

Gaara silently watched as Temari began questioning Sakura on when she would know the baby's gender and if she wanted to buy maternity clothes in Suna. His eyes drifted between his siblings and Sakura, taking in the light atmosphere that had reentered the room with a sigh of relief. He hadn't planned this, hadn't exactly wanted this, and yet now, with the support of his siblings, he felt like sitting here with Sakura who was going to have _his_ child was exactly what was supposed to happen.

He didn't care the gender, nor did he understand the sudden need for maternity clothing when Sakura was still as thin as ever, but listening to his sister and Sakura chat about all things baby made him feel… different. Both he and Sakura were still unsure about a lot of things but in that moment it didn't seem to matter as much.

The group dispersed later after chatting about the journey to Konoha, when they would be leaving (in about a month), the preparations that needed to be made (mostly Sakura and Gaara), and the desire for Temari to shop with Sakura for practical maternity clothing (a subject that seemed to confuse Gaara).

Sakura curled up into Gaara's side as they both eventually climbed into their bed. He slipped his arms around her, relaxing as they had the night before. It was all out in the open now, at least in Gaara's mind. True, it was still a secret, but his family knew now and to him, that was all that mattered. He was surprised at himself for feeling the way he did now, a sense of acceptance and calm washing over him and drowning, at least for the moment, all of the voices that were negatively impacting him and his thoughts on Sakura and the child. He fell asleep with this feeling of calm keeping those thoughts at bay and couldn't help but wonder how long it would take to rid himself of the negativity completely, if that was even possible.

End of Chapter 15


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The next morning brought a calmer, happier atmosphere as the group enjoyed a breakfast devoid of bickering and fighting for what seemed like the first time in a long while. The happy mood continued up until Sakura and Gaara stepped out of the house and into a Suna heat wave.

Sakura let out a small groan and looked over at Gaara with a woeful expression. "Please tell me the hospital is well air conditioned." Gaara gave her a sideways glance and nodded as Sakura sighed.

The walk to the hospital was not a far one but to Sakura it felt much farther in the mounting heat the Suna sun was already providing. Gaara seemed rather unaffected by it, having grown up enduring the sweltering temperatures and scorching sun, unfortunately this meant that he was slightly oblivious to the plight of his wife.

Sakura knew the temperature would only get worse as the sun continued to rise. For this reason, she was all too grateful to hurry into the hospital and out of the heat, leaving Gaara in the dust with only a wave goodbye.

Sakura was in a suitably more comfortable mood as she walked out of the hospital that afternoon. She had finished up early. The only major issue was a group of young Chunin who had gotten into trouble on a mission they believed they were strong enough to handle. She had fixed them up and sent them into the recovery ward with a good scolding and a shake of her head. After this she had gone to her office to complete the few forms she was required to sign to import medical supplies before finding that her work was finished for the day.

Just after lunch she had told her head doctor that she was leaving and had walked out of the hospital with a good chunk of the day now free to spend as she wished.

Her thoughts strayed to Temari who had mentioned going shopping that day and she couldn't help but think something to get her out of the house, but also out of the heat, would do her some good.

The streets were sandy and ever shifting, rustling as people moved about them underneath the towering sand structures that served as blessed shade in the steaming heat of the desert city. Sakura loved the warmth at times, but certainly not on days when the sun was hot enough to cause even the shade to be uncomfortable.

Today was certainly one of those days. The shade was not unbearable, and certainly didn't feel like knives on her skin like the direct sunlight did, but still, it was hotter than Konoha in the heat of summer and the dry heat wasn't at all what she was used to.

Sakura soon reached her house, opening the door and calling out for Temari who was supposed to have a free schedule for the day. "Temari? I finished work for the day, did you want to go shopping?" Almost as soon as she had finished her sentence, Temari appeared in front of her with a smile adorning her face.

"You are going to love the maternity store Sakura, an acquaintance of mine once brought me in there to get a gift for the Daimyo's cousin and they had the nicest things. It's not all clothes either, there are a lot of baby supplies as well. Shikamaru got called to help with some coded message from Konoha so I've got the day all to myself." She paused and gave Sakura an appraising look. "You may want to henge to go there." She gave her a serious glance, gesturing to her hair and eyes.

"Blonde or brown?" Sakura asked as Temari glanced at her with a thoughtful expression.

"Blonde I think and I will take mine out of the ponytails. Might as well throw on a cloak too, just to be safe." Sakura had already thought of this, handing Temari her standard Suna cloak before putting on her own and henging her hair to a light blonde and her eyes to a dull brown. As soon as Temari had taken her hair out of the standard four ponytails, the two left the house and stepped back out into the Suna heat.

The maternity store was near the main market street, tucked away into a side alley that was clean and respectable looking. Surrounding the small shop were apartments with small balconies overlooking the tiny street. Many had desert cacti sitting out on them, the only plants that could be left outside year round. It was quaint and reminded Sakura little bit of some of the smaller streets in Konoha.

Temari opened the door to the shop and ushered Sakura into the cooling air conditioning it provided. The two couldn't help but sigh at the welcome temperature as Sakura immediately began to look around, scanning the racks of clothing and baby supplies that filled the tiny store.

Stuffed toys, diapers, baby slings, dresses, bags, and assorted articles of clothing for both mother and baby were displayed artfully and carefully in a way that both drew the eye and showed conscious thought of placement. Sakura noticed that the maternity clothing was arranged according to not only size, but month of pregnancy as well.

The closest clothing to her were obviously for those early in their pregnancy and contained what appeared to be standard shinobi clothing with small alterations for the comfort of a growing pregnant woman. Before Sakura could gravitate to a shirt that was extremely similar to her usual attire, a large woman with rosy cheeks appeared out of nowhere and efficiently blocked her path.

"You're here to look for maternity clothes I assume?" The woman nodded to Sakura, paying little mind to Temari who was currently smiling a very sly smile. Sakura balked slightly, wondering what she had done to denote that she, and not Temari, was pregnant.

The woman seemed to sense her confusion as she laughed and shook her head. "I've seen too many young women to not know when one is expecting. You may not be showing yet but I could tell you were the one. You have that look about you." Tapping her nose, the woman turned and gestured to the clothing before her. "You're obviously a kunoichi what with your build and stance. These clothes are modeled to look like regular shinobi clothing but as you can see, they are sewn to conceal and accommodate an expecting mother."

Sakura moved towards the woman as she held out a pair of shorts, similar to the ones Sakura was currently wearing, that had a thicker band at the top that was extremely soft to the touch and very flexible. The band had extra fabric on the outside, forming a sort of belt that would easily conceal a small bump without being at all conspicuous. As Sakura held the pants against herself to check the size, Temari skirted past her and held up the red sleeveless shirt Sakura had previously been admiring.

"This looks like your color shirt." She held it up to Sakura and nodded, handing it to the woman who took it with a grin.

"I'll get a room started for you and then I'll be back." As the woman moved away to get the room started Temari glanced over at Sakura.

"Mimi-san really does know what a girl wants. She had you analyzed the moment you walked in here." Sakura glanced over a rack of clothing with a smile.

"These are exactly what I'll want, for a while at least. I might move into different things later but for concealing and still maintaining my normal look, these will more than work. It'll be a while before I'll want anyone to know." She was currently examining another red top similar to what she usually wore to the hospital, though this one had alterations to let out fabric as the stomach grew and looked like it would work up into the end of the second trimester.

Temari had already begun pulling out skirts and dresses that were flattering and stylish citing the need for air movement during the Suna heat waves. Mimi-san had returned and had taken the clothes Sakura had gathered as she drifted further from Temari and towards the baby section of the store.

In her mind she knew that it was most likely too early to be shopping for baby clothing and maternity wear but, in the moment, she really didn't care. Buying things now meant not having to buy them later when she did get a bump and meant that she was less likely to be found out until they announced publically that she was pregnant.

Not only that, but Temari was showing genuine excitement and support in a way Sakura hadn't completely expected. This support was helping to alleviate some of the nagging fears that had been building in Sakura's mind since the moment she found out that she was pregnant.

Sakura picked up a baby blanket, holding it out and examining the tiny rabbits embroidered along the side before folding it and setting it back on the shelf. It all felt surreal to her, the idea of a child, shopping for things for a baby and for herself, even willingly shopping without Ino blabbing about some trivial thing behind her.

"The room's ready if you'd like to try anything on. I have fake bellies for you to try on with the clothing as well, so you can get a feel for it. I get a lot of women in here who want to buy their clothing early so they don't have to go shopping when they are in their later trimesters." Mimi smiled as Sakura turned and gave her a grateful nod.

"Thank you, I'll try the clothing on." Temari followed as Sakura moved to the back of the store, eyeing toys and baby things as she went.

Temari swiftly pushed her into the dressing room, taking a seat outside as Sakura began trying on the shirts meant for the earlier stages of pregnancy.

She showed each to Temari and Mimi, earning nods and comments as Mimi showed her how to adjust the outfits and let out fabric for when she needed to do so. After deciding on five tops and a few assorted pants and skirts; Sakura was down to the clothing meant for when she was really showing.

A wave of nervousness passed over her as Mimi helped her into one of the fake bellies that she assured Sakura was definitely going to be her size. Sakura couldn't help but stare at herself in the mirror after Mimi had assisted her with putting on the first top.

There stood a stranger, blonde haired and as round as could be, looking every bit the pregnant mother. The belly looked massive to her and she couldn't believe that eventually she would be that big. It was surreal and felt, wrong, in a way.

Sakura barely focused on the shirt, Mimi's chattering fading to a dull blur as she continued to stare at the utter stranger in the mirror. Vaguely she registered Mimi opening the curtain behind her but she didn't move until she felt Temari's hand on her shoulder bringing her back into some semblance of reality.

"Wow that looks so...well… so real! You look so different like that!" Temari was staring her up and down, taking in everything from the shirt to the pants stretched to accommodate the fake belly.

Sakura's eyes met Temari's and instantly the other woman saw the uncertainty and unease swimming in the unfamiliar henged brown orbs. She gave Sakura a reassuring smile as Mimi observed the exchange and chuckled, gaining both of their attentions.

"It's a shock for most women, to see themselves that way before it has really happened. You're obviously a first time mother-to-be, and you look quite young." She paused and gave Sakura a warm smile. "When you do start showing, it will feel different."

Sakura's eyes fell back to the large protruding form currently attached to her and then back to Mimi. "I hope I feel different then." She whispered.

After this one-sided conversation, Sakura went through the motions of trying on clothes almost on autopilot. She felt as if she was having an out of body experience and wasn't truly there.

Temari, noticing Sakura's compliant nods and hazy look, took over the role of the decision maker. Pulling aside outfits that suited Sakura, her job, and her personality and discarding those that didn't.

Sakura still looked out of it until after the fake belly was taken off and she was back in the clothes she wore to the shop. She followed Temari to the counter, still feeling off, and paid for her purchases. Temari, of course, insisted on paying for some of the outfits declaring that she was meaning to get her something anyways.

Mimi congratulated Sakura once again as the two said their thanks and goodbyes and headed back out into the oppressive heat.

Temari continued to give Sakura looks out of the corner of her eye and Sakura noticed each and every one, eventually sighing and turning her gaze to her sister-in-law.

"Temari, stop worrying about me. I was just a bit surprised to see myself like that now. It's still new to me, I haven't gotten used to it yet, but I will." Temari's eyes searched Sakura's and eventually she nodded, turning her attention back to the road as Sakura inwardly sighed in relief.

"Just know that I'll help with everything, ok?" Sakura looked back at her companion and nodded, giving her a small smile as well.

"I know you will; thank you."

The girls returned home to drop off their bags, hanging up the clothing for early pregnancy and storing the rest in a scroll that Sakura placed on a shelf in the closet. They then decided to make a small lunch at home, deciding it was still too hot to be wandering around Suna. Sakura was grateful for this as she dispelled her henge and set about helping Temari to make simple soba.

Kankuro returned to the house just as they were finishing their meal. He strolled into the kitchen and greeted them both before pouring himself a large glass of water which he downed with an appreciative sigh.

"It's warm out today." He commented, as Sakura scoffed.

"Warm is an understatement, it's sweltering." Kankuro chuckled.

"Can't take the heat?" Her eyes narrowed.

"It gets hot in Konoha but it's humid, not dry and windy. Besides, here when the wind blows it gets hotter, not cooler." Temari smirked as Kankuro shook his head.

"Just wait until we get a sand storm, then you'll really know the meaning of Suna heat." Sakura groaned as both of the siblings simply laughed.

"Well you really only have to deal with it for a few more weeks, we'll be headed to Konoha for the Chunin exams soon enough and you can have all the disgusting sticky heat you want." Kankuro waved his hand and pulled a face as he thought of the awful humidity the Fire Country always seemed to provide in the warmer months.

"That's true, and I'm not saying I like that heat either, just that it's more tolerable than this." Kankuro shrugged and poured himself more water, sipping this one more languidly as he observed the two girls.

"Did you two get anything interesting on your shopping spree? Your wedding is coming up soon Temari and you might need some supplies for the honeymoon." He waggled his eyebrows at his sister who shot him a scathing look as Sakura scrunched up her nose.

"I am your _sister_ you moron, keep your nose out of my private life. I can't believe you'd even think about that." She growled and shook her head in disgust as Kankuro laughed.

Sakura, sensing that Temari was reaching her breaking point once again, diverted Kankuro's attention to her. "We were just picking up maternity clothing so I don't have to shop later on. It would be too risky for me to make trips to the maternity store when I start showing. Someone could catch on before we announced anything." Kankuro nodded but then looked puzzled.

"How'd you shop for maternity clothes when your stomach is still flat as a board?" He gestured towards Sakura and made a round motion with his hand.

"They had a fake belly for mothers to try on while they tried out the clothing." Temari commented. Dark eyebrows shot up to his hairline as he chuckled.

"Well that's…odd. How'd you look all rounded out? That must have been weird to see." Sakura nodded, agreeing with Kankuro's sentiments wholeheartedly.

"Yeah it was really strange." She sighed and laid a hand on her flat belly. "I'm sure it won't be so strange when the time comes since it'll be pretty gradual, but for now it was weird." Inwardly she wondered if it ever would seem normal to her but she brushed off the nervous thoughts as quickly as they appeared.

"We'll be here to help you out Sakura, it might be a slight inconvenience for a while but it'll be worth it." Temari gave Sakura a look that suggested that she knew exactly what Sakura was nervous about. Kankuro nodded his agreement.

"Yeah when you're too big to move around properly we'll help out." Sakura rolled her eyes at Kankuro.

"I don't think I'll get to the state where I won't be able to do anything Kankuro. I am a kunoichi and I plan to stay as fit as possible throughout my pregnancy, women who do usually carry a bit smaller and are much more mobile." Spouting knowledge gained from medical texts and encounters with many pregnant patients made her feel a little bit more relaxed about the idea of becoming too big to move.

"Well we'll just have to wait and see." Kankuro pushed off the counter and stretched, popping his shoulder in the process, which earned him another disgusted look from Temari. He simply grinned and popped his neck in response. "You girls wanna go do some more shopping? I have a couple things I need to grab from a store so I'll go with you if you want." Sakura turned to Temari who shrugged.

"I'm up for it if you are Sakura." She nodded, only sighing for a moment when she thought of the returning to the heat. At least keeping active would help with her anxious thoughts.

The trio walked to the shopping district with many greetings thrown their way. Kankuro wandered into a woodworking shop to grab some supplies for his puppets as the girls eyed a stall selling assorted kunai and senbon.

As soon as Kankuro rejoined them, they set off down the street, occasionally straying into shops as diligent shop owners promised that their shop was much better than the other places located on the road.

The group soon tired of walking in the heat and made a detour down one of the more shaded roads, heading back towards the house in a roundabout way.

Kankuro was busy blabbering about some new puppet attachment, pulling out parts from the bag he had bought earlier and explaining the practicality of each one. Temari soon grew agitated with his blabber and abruptly changed the topic to the Chunin exams in Konoha.

"I've seen the Genin teams that are going to compete this year. They are nothing like we were when we went to compete but I think one of the teams has a pretty good shot." Sakura nodded, she had seen that particular team's medical charts and had spoken briefly with their Sensei. The kids were young but talented and each had a specialty that complimented the others well. It was truly a well-formed group.

"I don't know the kids well but I doubt anyone can top the exams we had." Kankuro shook his head as all three tried their best to steer their minds away from the dark memories they had stirred up.

"Anyways, the wedding is right after that so there isn't going to be much time to do anything, which is fine by me, your wedding in Konoha was wonderful Sakura but I don't think I want anything near that big." Sakura nodded, Shikamaru would hate that as well. His clan operated primarily from the background and that is where they chose to stay in all aspects of their lives.

"I'm sure it will be just how you want it to be Temari. Just don't let Ino plan any of it!" Temari nodded fervently as Sakura smiled, feeling better than she did earlier in the day.

Sakura spent the rest of the day at home reading some scrolls that she had brought back from the hospital. Temari disappeared to go find Shikamaru and Kankuro was adamant about putting his new ideas to work on his puppet.

Around dinnertime, Gaara came home to find Sakura curled up on the couch, fully absorbed in her medical scroll. Her hands skimmed across the page as she hummed quietly to herself, either not noticing his presence or ignoring him in favor of finishing what she was reading. He suspected the former and quietly walked over to her, noting the small crease that had formed between her brows because of her constant concentration.

"Don't strain yourself by focusing too much." He murmured, passing by her as he moved to sit near her feet. She looked up with a small smile, happy to see that Gaara didn't look incredibly strained or serious as he did when he'd had a rough day.

She set the scroll down and sat up, wordlessly shifting so that she was closer to him. He gave her a small look and hummed slightly, letting her relax into his side as she wrapped an arm across his chest. While he didn't necessarily need to have constant physical contact, he knew Sakura used it recharge and relax. He certainly didn't mind the feeling of being needed nor did he mind his wife's soft curves and hardened muscle curled into his side.

"Temari and I went shopping today." She commented, not raising her head to look at him as he hummed once more to acknowledge that he was listening, closing his eyes and leaning back into the couch.

"We bought maternity clothing and I got things to hide my condition for a while, until we can announce it properly." Her words held an edge to them that made Gaara crack one light eye open and stare down at Sakura.

"Did you enjoy shopping for the clothing?" A soft sigh followed his question as she suddenly straightened and stared directly into his eyes, both of which were now open.

"It was…strange. I didn't really know how to react, it seemed like everything was progressing so quickly." She looked ashamed, a wave of guilt passing through her as she voiced her thoughts to him. She didn't want to worry him, knew he had his own concerns and reservations, but she had to tell him. She couldn't hide her thoughts from him on this matter.

He gave her an unreadable expression before gently pulling her to his side, wrapping his arm around her smaller shoulders. "It will take time. We have time to think, time to process." Sakura nodded.

"I know, we'll just have to focus on the trip to Konoha now anyways." Gaara made a small noise of affirmation and laid his head back on the couch.

"You should still rest. I can feel that your chakra is still not back to full capacity." Sakura hummed and nodded, curling into his side again, content to stay the way they were.

"You should rest too Gaara, you must not have gotten much sleep when I was gone." She knew her husband's insomniac tendencies returned full-force when he was stressed or uneasy. He hummed again, already relaxing into the couch as she rested against him.

They both settled into a meditative state, neither was asleep but both had their eyes shut and appeared to be doing just that.

This is how Shikamaru and Temari found them; having sensed that both of their chakra signatures were calm and still, they had entered through the front door and silently wandered into the living room. The pair looked like the picture of ease, leaning back on the couch with their eyes shut and their bodies still. They looked more restful than they had been in days and both Shikamaru and Temari were glad of it.

Gaara and Sakura had both felt Temari and Shikamaru enter the room but neither had moved, not wanting to get into any sort of discussion and secure in the knowledge that the two would soon leave if they believed them to be sleeping. They were right, their chakra signatures soon left, moving outside towards Temari's part of the compound.

Sakura sighed and wrapped her arm back around Gaara's waist, humming appreciatively as his hand rested on her forearm. They would figure everything out later, like Gaara had said, they had time.

End of Chapter 16


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The next week and a half passed without incident. Sakura and Gaara were absorbed in work, both having to deal with large amounts of paperwork dealing with preparations for the upcoming Chunin Exams. Sakura's chakra had completely returned and she felt much better, the new chakra giving her plenty of energy to focus on work and push other worries aside.

Shikamaru and Temari were always off doing something in the village, Shikamaru often ended up sitting in on council meetings pertaining to the exams. Kankuro was absorbed in modifications on his puppets so the couples rarely saw him. The times they were all together were very short as everyone was tired.

Sakura saw more of the Genin teams than she would have liked to, all pushing themselves in preparation for the upcoming tests. Bruises, scratches, sprains, fractures, and a few scorpion stings were the common ailments that she was seeing from the Genin teams and for this, she was grateful.

As one of the head medics, Sakura was also making plans for the medical teams when she arrived in Konoha. She had already made it clear to Gaara and the council that she was helping with the medical tents for the exams and sent a special hawk to Tsunade to confirm her position. Tsunade had replied directly, sending a letter detailing what she would be in charge of and how many medics she would have at her disposal.

Each village brought their own small entourage of medics, usually only two or three, but the hosting village was primarily responsible for the medical care. Sakura was acting as second in command, Shizune being the first, as Tsunade was required to watch and officiate the Exams with the other Kages.

Gaara and the council's protests of her safety and her status were shot down when she had given them the letter from the Hokage stating her reasons for placing Sakura in charge. It was logical that she was in charge being the head medic from Suna, their allied nation as well as being a high political figure. She would gain favor with the other Kages by treating their prospective Chunin and would promote good will as well.

Gaara had discussed it with her later in private, citing the concerns he had for her wellbeing since she was currently in a delicate situation and technically under the kunoichi protocol.

She had countered with the Hokage's orders and her own knowledge that she was completely fine and healthy enough to assist with the healing. She also promised that she herself would avoid as much chakra work as she could, instead taking a more managerial approach to the situation.

He had quieted after that, agreeing to her conditions with more grace than she expected.

At the end of the second week Sakura was utterly revolted by paperwork and wanted nothing more than to be done with the whole thing. She was finally over her morning sickness and for this, she was eternally grateful.

It was during this week that Sakura, while getting ready to take a bath, noticed that her stomach, usually toned and flat, had the slightest hint of a bump. It was barely enough to notice, something no one else would notice, but she was so in tune with her body that to her, the change was immediate.

Silently she dropped her hands and ran them along with surface of her skin, feeling the odd bump with silent wonder mingled with disbelief.

Gaara had entered the room behind her, having just arrived home with the full intent to take a hot shower to relieve the tension in his shoulders. He stopped when he saw Sakura cradling her stomach, turning left and right in front of the mirror with wide eyes.

Silently he approached her, reaching out to turn her to face him, eyes locked onto her form as he did so. She looked up at him with surprise and a soft look on her face, taking his hands and cautiously applying them to the planes of her stomach.

He felt the difference almost immediately as he knew Sakura's body almost as well as he knew his own. The hardened muscle had softened and pushed out ever so slightly, denoting a slight change in her form. He met her gaze after a few moments of running his fingers gently across her stomach, the first real evidence of their baby had shocked them both.

Her green eyes darted around his face before she pulled him in for a kiss, chasing away the growing uncertainty she saw in his expression, his hands moved to hold her hips as he returned her kiss, letting her make him forget his worries for a moment. The kiss held their fears, their happiness, and their trepidation all rolled into one and it was one of the most intimate moment they had shared in weeks.

"I haven't seen you much." He murmured into her neck as soon as they parted for air, pressing feather light kisses onto the kanji mark there.

Sakura sighed and ran her fingers through his red hair. "We've both been busy with preparations for the exams." She had missed the feel of her husband's lips on her skin more than she had realized.

"Were you going to take a bath? You're tense." He grumbled, kissing her shoulders as she ran her hands along his back.

"Says the man who works twice as hard as I do. Your shoulders are full of knots." She gave him a mock glare as he pulled back to look at her, some of the light returning to his eyes.

"We'll share the bath then." He kissed her again, lightly, and went to draw the water, neither of them commenting on the oddly tender exchange they had earlier had.

They sat in the bath for a long time, Sakura working the knots out of Gaara's back and shoulders and idly chatting about the impending trip. After the bath Gaara had set about drying Sakura off, stopping to rub circles into her hips and ribs until she responded with a hunger he had missed.

The two ended up on the bed, making passionate and slow love until both were undone and left on the sheets.

Gaara lay stretched out with Sakura lazily draped across his bare chest, a smile on her face as she succumbed to much needed sleep. He lay awake for a while, one of his hands gently tracing circles on her hip as he marveled at her sleeping form. She was even more beautiful to him now, if that was at all possible. He wondered at his life for a moment, focusing on her before deciding that he was alright with the changes that were happening if it meant they could have more moments like the ones they had just shared.

All too soon it was the day before the Suna entourage was set to leave for the exams. Gaara had made all the proper arrangements for safe passage and the ANBU accompanying them had been run through every background check possible.

Sakura had handpicked two medics to accompany her that were very competent but were not vital to the function of the hospital during her absence.

She had also switching into wearing items from her pregnancy wardrobe, realizing that the small bump would only continue to grow. It had already done so since the first day she noticed it and it was imperative that no one else noticed. The shirts and shorts paired with her standard medic skirt matched her regular wardrobe nearly exactly so no one was any the wiser.

That night the group sat down to dinner, discussing plans for the exams as well as the wedding. Sakura teemed with nervous energy about the exams as well as the idea of facing Tsunade to tell her the news. She knew Tsunade would accept it and support her unconditionally; she simply had no idea how to tell her. Maybe she'd tell Shizune first and have her help when she broke the news to her adoptive mother that she was going to be a grandma. Sakura cringed inwardly, it would be better not use the word 'grandma' Naruto's nickname never failed to anger the blonde Hokage.

"So Baki-sensei finished up the ANBU squad today, all of them were thoroughly checked out and Baki-sensei is coming along with us as well for the exams and the wedding. There shouldn't be any problems." Kankuro waved his chopsticks noncommittally as Shikamaru nodded his approval.

"The route was checked thoroughly and an ANBU squad from Konoha will meet us as soon as we cross into Fire Country." Sakura nodded knowing everyone was being extra cautious in light of recent events.

The rogues had all but gone silent, few bands daring to confront shinobi in the open. The attack on Suna and Sakura's kidnapping were obviously the source of unrest since they had happened all within a few weeks of each other.

"Naruto's most likely going to be waiting at the front gates since I know Shishou will have him on a tight leash right now. He always gets way too hyper when big events are going on and us coming back to Konoha paired with the exams will have him bouncing off the walls." Sakura sighed fondly at the thought of her excitable blonde teammate and his beaming smile. She couldn't wait to see him and she just knew he was dying to see both herself and Gaara. She found it hard to believe at times but she missed the big knucklehead a lot.

Part of her wanted to see his reaction at the news of her pregnancy but she knew she'd have to wait until just before it was publicly released, if she told Naruto the entire village would know within an instant.

Gaara gave Sakura a glance that told her he too was looking forwards to seeing Naruto.

"The welcoming committee is always an ordeal. People turn up at the gates to watch the entourages arrive. The teams also get shuffled off into their housing if I remember correctly. Usually the Hokage doesn't greet anyone at the gate but we'll be immediately brought to her office I'm sure." Shikamaru scratched his neck and sighed. He was going to have to stick around for a while after they arrived until Tsunade dismissed them. Formalities were such a drag.

"We'd better rest early tonight. We leave just after dawn tomorrow." Gaara's turquoise eyes traveled to Sakura who had her head cradled in her hand in a relaxed pose.

Kankuro stretched and nodded, standing and yawning loudly before smacking his lips, earning him a glare from his sister. "It's a good thing we've already packed. We'll head to bed then, night you two – and a half – don't stay up too late." He winked at Sakura and Gaara, using his new favorite term to refer to them. Sakura crossed her arms at his antics and waved him off, noticing the grin splitting his face as he walked out of the room.

Temari and Shikamaru followed with a shake of the head from Temari at her brother and a lazy nod from Shikamaru. Gaara walked over to Sakura's side and let her wrap her arms around him and sigh.

"Let's go up to bed now." She murmured, knowing she'd need her sleep for the journey to Konoha. He silently agreed, following her up the stairs and down to their room.

Sakura dressed into a tank top and shorts, brushing her teeth before climbing into the bed and waiting for Gaara to finish in the bathroom. She lay on top of the covers on her back, fingers running across her slightly protruding stomach as she sighed.

Gaara lay down beside her, placing a hand on the now visible bump as she laced her fingers with his. He had become more okay with touching her belly after the night in the bathroom and did so whenever he noticed her observing it. She had certainly taught him to be more comfortable with intimacy in private. The tank tops she wore at night revealed what her tops during the day did not. Their baby was obviously growing inside of her.

"I was thinking earlier…" She whispered, Gaara's thumb softly caressing her own.

"About what?" His black rimmed eyes met her own with a questioning look. She didn't look or sound alert so he assumed it was something harmless.

"About whether it'll be a boy or a girl." She rarely spoke of their child in the future tense out loud. They were both content with the knowledge that it was growing day by day and was a background reality in their lives as of now.

Gaara didn't say anything for a moment, letting Sakura continue. "I don't care what it is." She was honest, she didn't have a preference, never really had. She'd always just thought of children in the general sense, not the specific.

Gaara hummed slightly and continued to trace patterns on the back of her hand. "I have no preference either." He hadn't thought of children before so he'd never given any thought to the gender of the baby.

Sakura looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "We could find out but I think I'll wait." She voiced her thoughts to the dark room and then rolled onto her side, facing her husband.

He reached up and brushed her hair back across her shoulder before resting an arm on her hip. "Get some sleep."

"Mhm, you too." Her arms rested in between them as she curled towards him, already closing her eyes to sleep.

Sakura woke up to the sound of Gaara's movements; he had gotten up and was already preparing for the day. Sakura sat up and stretched, blinking at the bright light streaming in from the bathroom. Outside the sun had still not risen and all was still quiet.

Sakura slid out of bed and walked into the bathroom, brushing her hand along Gaara's back to let him know she was awake. He grunted what sounded like a greeting and moved back into the bedroom to change into his clothes. Sakura brushed out her hair and tied on her hitai-ate before following to where her husband was pulling on his black undershirt and red coat. He was to wear this outfit until they were in Konoha, from then on he would be in full Kazekage attire.

She handed him his brown vest and belts and he thanked her with a nod, both still respecting the silence of the morning.

Sakura was quick to dress, adjusting her clothes and double-checking to be sure her condition wasn't visible. She pulled on her medic skirt and attached her packs to her hips, pulling on her leg pouch as well. Her boots came last, Gaara watching as she pulled them on before straightening and giving him a small smile.

The pair met the trio in the kitchen where Temari and Kankuro were having breakfast as Shikamaru dug around in his pack.

"Lost something Shikamaru?" Sakura questioned, her pink hair popping into his view as she peered into his pack.

"Yeah, my will to travel across a desert." He grumbled under his breath as he located the tiny hairband he was searching for. He slipped it into his pocket and then leaned back on the counter as Sakura giggled and snagged a piece of toast.

"You'll need to eat more than just that Sakura." Temari called, handing her a bowl of noodles in a light broth. Sakura thanked her and began eating, watching as Kankuro, Temari, Gaara and Shikamaru discussed the layout of the envoy for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Sakura and Gaara were to be in the center of the group, Kankuro flanking their left with Temari on their right. Shikamaru would be directly behind their group since his jutsu required a line of sight to immobilize his targets. From there the group radiated out with the medics near the very center and the Genin teams following behind the group. The ANBU were to surround the entire radius. Baki was leading the group and was traveling at the very front.

It was a well thought out arrangement and there should be little issue even if anyone was stupid enough to attack their group. Sakura felt confident in the plan; even if she was a little miffed that she was traveling in the most protected area like a traveling diplomat.

She knew her place as a medic and knew that ultimately most formations would require her to be in position where she wouldn't be hurt. Medics weren't any good to a squad if they were dead or wounded.

As soon as they were finished eating, they left the house, Gaara strapping his gourd onto his back and walking beside Sakura who had donned her travel cloak. The moment they reached the street, they were flanked by ANBU guards who began guiding them to the Suna gates.

Sakura felt as if the world was watching her, the usually silent streets much more lively than usual at this dim hour of morning. Many people had woken up to see the group off and many more were simply awake out of curiosity or because they were disturbed by the noise on the streets.

The sun had just began to truly rise when they met up with the anxious Genin teams at the front Gates. Many shinobi milled about, observing the three teams being sent off to the exams and their entourage. Murmured greetings were called to Gaara and his siblings as they passed through the small crowd.

ANBU dotted the rooftops and the passage that led to the already warming Suna desert. The air was still chill but Sakura knew that soon it would be nearly unbearable with heat. Shikamaru seemed to have the same thought as she heard a trademark sigh coming from just behind her.

Everyone took their positions, as the nervous whispers from the Genin grew to a loud hum. Sakura greeting her two medics and aligned them both just behind Shikamaru before taking her place alongside Gaara. He nodded to Baki who was waiting for his signal and his old Sensei responded with a terse nod.

"Stay in your positions and listen to your superiors. Any failure to comply with these actions will meet with severe ramifications. From this moment on you are representative from Suna. It will take three to four days to get to Konoha and we will be keeping a fast pace." His stern voice had silenced the crowd and his one-eyed stare seemed to level all in front of him.

Sakura smiled at his intimidation tactics, they got the point across but she knew they were mere child's play when compared to Tsunade's or even her own. For a moment she wondered why Gaara had not been the one to say anything, but a quick glance at her husband told her that he had planned it this way. His face was drawn into a line, his thoughts obviously not on the scene in front of him.

Baki gave the signal from in front of them and as a group they began to leave the city. As soon as they were outside of the Suna gates, the pace quickened to standard shinobi speed. Sakura could feel her muscles tightening beneath her as her body quickly remembered the rhythm of running at an increased pace. The only thing she wasn't used to was the slight fluctuation she could feel as her chakra began to circulate to her legs. She knew it was because she was pregnant and adjusted accordingly.

Next to her Temari flashed her a smile. She was obviously thrilled to be out of the city again after not having had a mission in a while.

 _"You doing ok?"_ She mouthed, knowing her words would alert Gaara if she said them aloud. Sakura nodded and gave her a thumbs up, she knew her limits and also could feel Gaara's sand catching her feet as she ran, reducing the amount of effort and chakra she needed to use. It was an unnecessary but thoughtful gesture.

The hours passed slowly, as the oppressing heat began to grow the more the sun climbed into the sky. The scenery was dismal, just sand and more sand and Sakura found it easiest to simply zone out and focus on her running, many of the other experienced Jonin doing the same.

Around her there was little conversation, save for from a few of the Genin who were obviously not accustomed to such long stretches of time without speaking, or such long lengths of continuous running. They stopped more than they usually would if it was simply an escort mission to account for the size of the group and the various degrees of experience. Sakura was thankful for this, feeling like she could use the rest as her body adjusted chakra levels.

She was over the dizzying fatigue from the last mission and the strain of the initial few months of pregnancy but she knew that simply being pregnant was affecting her body. The way her chakra was circulating was slightly different now and it took time to adjust.

Gaara kept a sharp eye on her and more than once she had to reassure him that she was fine and was going to be fine throughout the entire trip.

The peak of the day brought a sweltering inferno that had Sakura cursing the sun with all of her might. She could hear Shikamaru behind her occasionally grumbling and knew that he too was hating the journey.

They continued moving as the temperature began to drop, the oppressive sun giving way to the loud and freezing desert night winds. They did not stop for the night until the light of the stars hung above them like crystals above the shifting sands.

Sakura's legs protested the stop, still buzzing with the lactic acid from the day's activities. As Baki began barking orders to set up a camp near an outcropping of rocks, Sakura parted from Gaara and moved to her medics. The three began to circulate throughout the group, checking the Genin teams and asking around to see if anyone needed anything treated before they turned in for the night. Finding nothing, Sakura thanked the medics and returned to where Gaara was discussing something in hushed tones with Baki and Shikamaru.

"Rotational watches are set, minimum five per watch. The ANBU informed me of their rotation schedule, we are not needed" Baki nodded, his dark eye flitting to Sakura as she approached.

"There was no one who needed medical treatment; everyone seems to be holding up well." Gaara nodded towards her and then turned back to Baki.

"I'll observe the first watch and then turn in. Rest." He looked at Sakura for a moment when he said this and for a fleeting moment she wondered if the siblings had told him about her condition. Her questions quickly dissipated as he gave Gaara the same look.

"Inform me of any changes in the night." Gaara commanded. Baki gave a gruff nod to the group and then turned and left.

Shikamaru, who was staring at the stars with his hands firmly lodged in the pockets of the travel cloak he so hated, sighed, his breath appearing as mist in the night.

"We've made good time. Actually ended up camping farther out than we planned. This was the secondary campsite." Sakura watched as he turned his gaze to where Gaara was silently observing the camp. "They are better suited to the desert than us." He mumbled, Sakura smiling in the dark as she watched the Genin bed down in their sleeping bags, all close together to conserve warmth.

"They were taught to survive here just as we were taught to know the forests. I'm sure they feel as ill suited to the humidity and greenery as we do to the sun and sand." Shikamaru made a small noise of agreement and then sighed, catching Gaara's attention as he and Sakura walked over to him.

"Temari and Kankuro are already setting up the sleeping bags." He stated, Gaara nodding as he looked to where his siblings had set up camp using the rocks as a buffer from the winds. It was a calm night for the desert, voices only having to be raised slightly as the wind whipped around everything in its path.

Sakura could feel the slight sting of sand on her exposed skin and the tug on her hair as it whipped around her head. Boldly she reached out to Gaara's arm, resting a hand on it in order to have him turn to face her.

She could make out his face in the night even without chakra enhancing her vision. Though there was no moon, the night sky still illuminated the sands enough to vaguely see. His face was passive, giving her no glimpse into his thoughts or feelings.

"We should rest." She murmured. He nodded, his eyes never leaving her as she felt his chakra reaching out to her as if to assess her condition. Her eyebrows knit together slightly and she felt his chakra withdraw. He was being cautious and protective, she understood that he couldn't truly help it, but it didn't mean she liked him prodding her with chakra as if she wasn't a medic who could monitor herself.

Sakura was directed to sleep in a large sleeping bag with Gaara, as both a protective measure and so that she didn't need to circulate as much chakra to keep her warm during the night. Many others were doing the same. All shinobi were used to sharing sleeping bags on missions, particularly when they were in the desert.

Gaara had his back facing the rocks and his eyes trained on the camp, observing the others crowded around the rock outcroppings. He didn't look at Sakura as she crawled into the sleeping bag, laying back against him so her chest rested near his back.

She kept her eyes open for a while, watching the ANBU standing watch nearby before closing her eyes and forcing herself to sleep.

The night passed without incident, much to everyone's relief. Before dawn broke, Baki and the guards began to wake the camp. Sakura opened her eyes as Gaara moved in the sleeping bag behind her, already awake and ready to continue.

"Morning." She mumbled, extracting herself grudgingly from the warmth of the sleeping bag. Gaara watched her stretch as she stood, massaging the back of her leg muscles slightly and readjusting her top.

"Do you feel alright?" He questioned as Sakura nodded, leaning left to stretch out her back.

"I feel rested. I was plenty warm last night so I got a good night's sleep." Gaara said nothing, turning his gaze to where the Genin were slowly cleaning up camp, being told by their Sensei to wake up and get moving.

"The night was quiet." Temari commented, having approached where Sakura was standing.

"It was, and the winds were good too." Sakura pulled out a nutrition bar from her pack and began to munch on it, knowing she'd need the fuel it provided. Temari hummed in agreement.

After the camp was up and fed, they began moving again, Baki leading them off once more into the desert.

The day passed the same as the first, though they reached the sparse grasslands on the edge of the desert right after the noon stop. The sun in the grasslands was just as hot as in the desert but Sakura knew that soon they would be in the cooling shade of the trees in Fire Country.

They were nearing the edge of the grasslands when they stopped for the night. The grasslands had transitioned into small trees and shrubs, hiding their positions better than when they were in the open territory of the desert. The tiny trees and shrubs extended on for a while before gradually transitioning into the tall trees of the Fire Country forests.

"The Genin are holding up well." Kankuro commented, approaching where Sakura was laying out her sleeping bag in the shade of a large bush. She looked over to the Genin teams, their chatter the loudest in the encampment though still much quieter than any of the Rookie 9 ever were on missions.

"I was just about to go and check to see if anyone needed medical attention. Did they look ok to you?" Kankuro nodded.

"I heard one of them complain about a rock in his sandal but that was about it." Sakura smiled.

"I'll do a sweep just in case. Gaara's talking to Baki and I think Temari and Shikamaru are helping to set up the perimeter." Kankuro looked around for his siblings and then shrugged.

"They seem to be doing fine, mind if I tag along with you? Most of the others are busy containing the Genin." Sakura chuckled and stood, adjusting her shirt once more just in case. She was probably being over cautious but better safe than sorry.

"Come on then." She moved through the small encampment, meeting the other two medics and sending them off to do a sweep through the ANBU and older shinobi. She assumed none of them would need medical attention, but it was a precaution she insisted upon.

The Genin were, as Kankuro stated, a bit grouchy but fine. She was surprised at how quiet they were compared to the Genin in Konoha but she knew that the Suna shinobi were known for being more reserved and hard due to both their rigorous training and the nature of the environment in which they lived. They respected her well enough and quieted when she approached. Their Sensei were similarly respectful but she could tell they were much more relaxed around her.

Kankuro chatted with a few of the Sensei, following behind Sakura as she made her way back to the center of camp. The other two medics reported nothing and she sent them off to eat and get some rest. She herself returned to her sleeping bag, noting that Kankuro had spread his near to hers.

They both sat down and pulled out their meals, quietly munching on the dried meats and such that they had packed. They acknowledged Temari and Shikamaru as they sat down on their sleeping bags, only a few feet away.

Gaara arrived a short while later, greeting the group with a nod before settling in next to Sakura. He said nothing and simply regarded her silently.

"What? Is something wrong?" He continued to stare at her.

"No." Sakura raised a single pink brow in confusion and slowly looked away, chewing the last piece of meat slowly.

 _"Well that was odd."_ She turned back to Gaara a few minutes later to see him observing the camp instead of her. _"Maybe he was just thinking, he does that sometimes."_ She dismissed the moment as a simple case of Gaara zoning out and decided to call it a night.

Her stretch caught Gaara's eye. "I'm gonna turn it, goodnight." She called to Shikamaru, who nodded, and Temari who said goodnight in return. Kankuro gave her a wave and a wink, already settling into his own sleeping bag.

Gaara simply lay in a separate sleeping bag next to her, murmuring a quiet "Goodnight." She felt a bit isolated from him, though she knew he was most likely just using the extra sleeping bag since it was there. She fell asleep wondering if something was bothering him more than just their travels.

End of Chapter 17


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